Groot-Bijgaarden Castle (Belgium)

The tourist who discovered Belgium always admired the beauty of its historic buildings and castles. Brabant has several of these castles that testify to a glorious past. But the castle of Groot-Bijgaarden, the pride of this commune and 7 km from Brussels, is undoubtedly one of the showpieces of the archaeological heritage in our country. The castle is surrounded by a wide ditch. The deep and stagnant water is delineated by the proud foliage of a series of ancient beech trees. A bridge with five arches, guarded by two heraldic figures from the 17th century, leads the visitor to the drawbridge that gives access to the front castle of which the middle part dates from the 15th century.

The castle, dated from the 17th century, is a large size building built in a beautiful, pure Flemish Renaissance style. It consists of a long main building of pink bricks and white sandstone window sills. They cross each other so that they come out well and go well with the dark blue color of the slate roof. The left wing is dominated by a pear-shaped spire. The chapel leans against the right wing and has not undergone any changes since three centuries.

The massive 30-meter-high castle tower, on the left of the reinforced entrance gate, has four floors. The walls are three meters thick. The platform of the fourth floor, which is protected by a crenellated wall, offers a magnificent view of the domain and the Flemish country up to thirty kilometers away.