Gravensteen in Ghent

Description

The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. The name means "castle of the counts" in Dutch. The Gravensteen is situated at an altitude of 9 meters.

History

The present castle was built in 1180 by count Philip of Alsace and was modeled after the crusaders castles that Philip of Alsace encountered while he participated in the second crusade. Before its construction, there stood a wooden castle on the same location, presumably built in the ninth century. The castle served as the seat of the Counts of Flanders until they abandoned it in the 14th century. The castle was then used as a courthouse, a prison and eventually decayed. Houses were built against the walls and even on the courtyard and the stones of the walls were used to erect other buildings. At one time it even served as a factory. At the end of the 19th century, the castle was scheduled to be demolished.

Renovation

In 1885 the city of Ghent bought the castle and started a renovation project. The newly built houses were removed and the walls and keep were restored to their original condition.

The castle has been repaired enough to allow people to travel through it and climb on top. It is still partly surrounded by the moat. Inside is a museum with various torture devices (and a guillotine) that were historically used in Ghent.

Film location

The White Queen, a BBC drama series set in the 15th century, used the inside of the castle squares for some scenes and the outside view of the castle with the moat was shown in some short overall views (with some computer modifications to erase modern influences).

The castle is also used for the 2015 movie "Emperor", starring Adrien Brody.

Street view

Reviews

31.08.2021 Nick
The Gravensteen, is an awesome looking medieval castle in the centre of Ghent. I thoroughly enjoyed walking round looking at the architecture and the fantastic displays within the castle. This was all for a very reasonable price (10 Euros at the time). I strongly recommend a visit.
31.08.2021 Lin
Really cool and fun experience!
They could use a bit more English there, but overall interesting place to visit if you're into castles and medieval history.
Don't miss it if you're around.
You can do a full tour in about an hour if you're short in time, or stretch it a bit longer to enjoy the place even more if you have the time.
31.08.2021 Andres
Impressive castle in the middle of town which portrays well the long standing monarchies of Europe which were based here.
Well kept.
31.08.2021 James
Beautiful castle in the middle of Gent with great views. The exhibits inside were plain and nothing to write home about, but all the outdoor spaces were great. Would suggest going for the panoramic views of the city.
31.08.2021 Thomas
Nice medieval fort in the middle of the ciry centre. A visit to the museum gives a good idea of what the places were used for back then. It also has a great view of the city.
31.08.2021 Teo
Beautiful castle but not too much interesting stuff inside. Price is still acceptable for entrance fee.
31.08.2021 Daniel
Fantastic place to visit with lots of information on the history of the place. Lots of signs in English to help with the understanding, but you don't really need it. The views from the top and architecture of the building itself is worth the entry fee.

Great for kids as it brings alot of the history of the area alive in a very obvious way.
31.08.2021 Josh
Was an interesting visit with some English Translations. I felt they could have put a bit more effort into some of the rooms as some of the numbers as you go round are as simple as 'this room was used for x', been no longer than a sentence or 2. Was still lovely to walk around.
31.08.2021 Mike
Kids are free and 10 euros to get in for adults is a bargain for this amazing 12th century castle. Not crowded and very beautiful. Also a great place to see the skyline of Ghent
31.08.2021 Kris
This castle in the middle of Ghent you have to visit. An ideal trip for the kids and it provides you an interesting story of the history of Ghent. Also from the top of the castle you can take some awesome photographs of the ancient city of Ghent. A must see!
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