Kasteel Heeswijk

Heeswijk is a moated castle of medieval origin, rebuilt many times, and its present character comes from Andre van den Bogaerde van Terbrugge and his sons, who owned it in the nineteenth century and were serious collectors in the manner of the period: they bought carved stonework, panelling, chimneypieces, stained glass and sculpture from churches and houses being demolished across the Netherlands and Belgium and installed them here, so the interiors are an assemblage of salvaged fabric arranged into rooms. That practice destroyed context and preserved material at the same time, and the castle is a good place to think about it. Napoleon stayed here in 1810. The building fell into decay in the twentieth century and was restored from the 1990s; it is now run as a museum and event venue with guided tours, and the moat, tower and courtyard are the frame.

What you actually see

• Salvaged interiors - stonework, panelling and glass bought from demolished buildings.
• A moated medieval core - rebuilt repeatedly and restored from the 1990s.
• Nineteenth-century collecting - the practice that made these rooms, for good and ill.
• Napoleon's stay - the emperor lodged here in 1810.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Guided tours only, seasonal, and the castle closes for weddings and events. The interiors are assemblages rather than original to the house. Public transport is limited.

Nearby

Den Bosch is south-west; the Maashorst is north-east.