Beersel Castle
A brick water castle south of Brussels with three round towers and a full moat, never turned into a country house.
Updated 18 October 2026
Beersel was built around 1300 and rebuilt after a siege in the fifteenth century, and it is one of the very few Belgian castles to have survived without being converted into a comfortable country house: it is a defensive building of brick with three round towers linked by curtain walls, standing in a full water-filled moat with a bridge, and the interior was never modernised, so what remains is arrow slits, machicolations, guard rooms, a torture chamber and bare brick. It was abandoned for a long period and restored from 1928. Its compactness and completeness make it the standard image of a Flemish water castle and a regular film location. The moat holds carp and the surrounding grounds are open.
History
A fortified house stood here by 1292, and in 1300 Godefroid of Hellebeke, first known lord of Beersel, was allowed by Duke John II of Brabant to build a castle on the border of Brabant; soldiers of Louis of Male took and sacked it in 1356, and it was rebuilt from 1357 with a circular wall and three large towers. Its lords of Wittem sided with Maximilian I against Brussels, whose militias besieged it in 1488 and 1489, taking it with French cannon, and it was restored in 1491 and 1617; in 1928 the House of Merode gave the ruin to the League of Friends of Beersel Castle, which restored the towers and ramparts by 1939 (Wikipedia, Beersel Castle).
The main sights
- Three round brick towers - linked by curtain walls in a full moat.
- Machicolations and arrow slits - the defensive detail kept intact.
- Bare unmodernised interiors - guard rooms rather than furnished chambers.
- The water moat and bridge - the castle standing entirely in water.
When to go
April to October; opening is reduced in winter and it closes some months entirely. One to two hours. Weekday mornings are quiet. Medieval events run several times a year.
Before you go
The interior is empty and bare, which visitors expecting furnished rooms find thin. Opening is seasonal and hours are limited. Tower stairs are steep and narrow. Interpretation is largely in Dutch.
Nearby
Gaasbeek Castle is north-west; the Hallerbos is south.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q791969, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Beersel Castle
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
- A refillable water bottle - Many cities have public fountains; save money and plastic. Find on Amazon
- A light layer + compact umbrella - For museum air-con and a sudden shower. Find on Amazon
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