- Type
- Castle
- Built
- 11th century
- Location
- Luxembourg, Belgium
- Coordinates
- 49.7932°, 5.0662°
History
A fortified watchtower of the Ardenne-Bouillon family is recorded here in 988, and between 1050 and 1067 Godfrey the Bearded built a castle with a large keep on the present ridge. In 1096 his grandson Godfrey of Bouillon pledged the lordship to Bishop Otbert of Liège to pay for the crusade, and as he never returned from the Holy Land, the castle passed to the prince-bishops for centuries. It was often contested: the Count of Bar seized it in 1134, the de la Marck family in 1482, and in 1521 the troops of Emperor Charles V wrecked it; the rebuilding produced the Austrian Tower of 1551 that still dominates the site. Under French rule Vauban adapted the fortress to withstand artillery by adding bastions. During the Dutch period (1815–1830) the medieval keep was pulled down for barracks, and after the castle passed to Belgium it was decommissioned in 1853.
What to see
The castle is open to visitors. Its three sections are linked by bridges over rock-cut ditches, and the route takes in underground passages, the rock-cut Gothic Godfrey Hall from the 13th century, the well that supplied water during sieges and the top of the Austrian Tower, with views over the town and the river bend. Falconry displays run in season, and in summer there are torch-lit night tours that must be booked. The Ducal Museum in the town covers the history of the duchy of Bouillon.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q567525
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