Castle of the Counts of Flanders

The castle of the Counts of Flanders can be seen in the Belgian city of Ghent. It is the only medieval castle in this area, although the country has a huge number of beautiful historical centers, as well as majestic buildings. The castle is open to the public all year round except for December 24, 25 and 31, as well as January 1.

Short description

All the defensive systems of the Castle of the Counts of Flanders, including cannons and bridges, have been preserved to this day in pristine condition. The history of the facility begins with the fact that Count Baudouin was the first to decide to build a defensive structure in these places that would protect him and his retinue from Viking attacks in Western Europe. The castle of the Counts of Flanders was reconstructed several times, it was the residence of the counts who ruled in those years in this territory of Belgium. In its modern form, the castle was transformed thanks to Count Philippe of Alsace, who built additional walls, more than 20 towers, as well as a defensive moat.

Features of the Castle of the Counts of Flanders

Apart from the fact that the Castle of the Counts of Flanders served as a defensive structure, its purpose changed several times - from the middle of the 14th century, the castle served as a mint. Later it was used as the building of the Supreme Court, the Council of Flanders, and also in one of the defensive towers there was a real textile factory, where they sewed things supplied to various parts of Europe.

Nowadays, the city authorities were able to solve the problem of the castle, which consisted in the fact that it was used incorrectly in terms of tourism - it was closed to the public. Now the attraction is fully open for tours, and the Museum of Justice and Weapons is located here, where visitors are provided with tools and objects of torture that were used in court. The castle of the Counts of Flanders surprises with its splendor, as well as the unsurpassed atmosphere that reigns within the walls of this ancient structure with a very rich history.