Top 13 Castles around Meulebeke

Kasteel Ter Borcht – where centuries of history come to life In the middle of Meulebeke lies Kasteel Ter Borcht, a moated domain with roots dating back to the 13th century. It was once the seat of the main lordship of Meulebeke. For centuries, lords and noble families dictated the comings and goings of the region here. In 1655, the domain even received royal recognition: Philip IV elevated the lordship to a barony. Through the centuries, the castle itself changed. The medieval origins gave way to a stately 17th-century castle, which later acquired its elegant whitewashed classical facades and baroque stepped gable. The two octagonal watchtowers at the entrance still seem to keep watch over this ancient domain. But the history of Ter Borcht does not end in the past. After centuries as a noble residence, the castle received a surprising new chapter. Between 2016 and 2022, it was thoroughly restored and brought back to life. Today, the historic rooms are no longer silent witnesses, but form the backdrop for exhibitions, weddings, tourist information, and culinary experiences. Outside the castle walls, too, much has changed. The old moat and castle mound are reminiscent of the medieval past, while the surrounding domain today offers space for walkers, athletes, and recreational users. From medieval lordship to contemporary meeting place: Ter Borcht has never left its past behind, but has given it a new purpose.

A miniature version of the castle to give visually impaired people a tangible image of the castle. Equipped with Braille.

very nice and quiet area

In the 20th century, the castle was successively owned by the Oblate Fathers (1910-1920), who set up a dairy there, by the Versele family (of the Anglo-Belge brewery), who rented it to J. De Clerck, for, among other things, a horse breeding farm and the refurbishment of the "Leiedal" dairy. In 1989-90, the castle was completely restored. Nowadays, the castle serves as a banquet hall for wedding parties, with room for 200 to 500 people. Source: Inventory of Immovable Heritage

Walking along the old Leie meander you can see the castle (Te Lake and not 'Te Meer',... the absurd result of an automatic translation, reported to Komoot, but apparently difficult to correct) from afar, albeit through the trees. The castle was built in 1748 on the old site with moat of the lordship "Te Lake" whose history goes back to the 13th century. The lordship, named after the Van Lake family, was a fief of the fiefdom "de Stenen Man" of Oudenaarde. At the end of the 15th and in the 16th century in the possession of the family van Gavere, also called van Liedekerke and from 1592 of the Basta family. Baron de Beer sells the lordship in 1715 to J.S. Limnander, lord of the lordship "ter Werft" in Zulte. His son will have the old castle demolished and a new, more comfortable castle built with stables, a gardener's house and gardens. The straight lane leading to the castle is still named after the Limnander family. Until the construction of the Leie Canal (1972), it connected the castle to the village centre. Source: Inventory of Immovable Heritage

You can see the side and back of Ooigem Castle from the Oude Leie; the front from the entrance gate on Desselgemsestraat. On an information board on site you will find this explanation: A castle was possibly built here in the 9th century to protect Harelbeke. The oldest known lord was mentioned in 1080 as Lambertus de Odenghem. Around 1260, the castle came into the possession of the lords of Luxembourg. They probably had a stone castle built in the 13th century. At the end of the 14th century, a fire is said to have raged and in the course of the 15th century the castle fell into disrepair. In 1510, the lordship was sold to the De Gros family, who made it habitable again. In 1576, however, the castle was plundered by iconoclasts and fell into disrepair again. During the 17th century, the castle was rebuilt on the old foundations, probably by order of Charles de Gros, the first regular resident. In 1693, the castle came into the hands of the De Lens family as an inheritance. A chapel and a Louis XV-style staircase were added, the salons were redecorated, new stables and coach houses appeared in the farmyard. The park was laid out. Petrus Verhaeghe, mayor of Ooigem, lived in the castle after the French Revolution and in 1889 Bernard Verhaeghe, who was mayor of Ooigem at the time, bought the castle. His son Alfons Verhaeghe was visited several times by Oscar Wilde. 'Op het kasteel', the story by Stijn Streuvels from 1904, is also set in this castle. In 1937, a number of farm buildings in the farmyard were demolished, but the dovecote remained. The garden was redesigned, on a smaller scale than before. According to literature, the domain once housed prisons, storage areas for payments in kind, courtrooms and council chambers.

Today, parts of the castle are rented out as a venue for corporate events, seminars, parties, and more. Extensive work has been carried out for this purpose over the past quarter century. Mr. Marc Van Honsebrouck, who died last year at the age of 89, had lived in the castle with his family since 1986, and had already commissioned renovations around the turn of the century. But disaster struck shortly afterward. On September 20, 2001, at 1:45 a.m., a fire broke out. Fortunately, Mr. Marc and his family managed to escape, but the entire left wing, both the ground floor and the upper floor, was completely destroyed. Although the fire department arrived very quickly, many priceless works of art were lost in the fire. The building itself suffered greatly, but the skill of the firefighters managed to stop the all-consuming flames. The grief over this terrible event was palpable far beyond the castle grounds. In 2012, Mr. Marc Van Honsebrouk decided to take over the castle's entire care and bought out his brother, who had been co-owner until then. His plan was to breathe new life into the castle, which had only been made wind- and watertight after the fire. The result of the past few years is the magnificent halls that shine again. Sources: https://kasteelvaningelmunster.be/ https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20230824_96366895

The origin of the name "Ingelmunster" most likely lies in the history of this castle. The castle was built on the ruins of a seventh-century monastery. In 740, the monastery was reportedly inhabited by English monks, who gave it their name: Anglo Monaterum, Engelmunster, or Ingelmunster, meaning "Monastery of the Angels." In 855, the monastery fell prey to the Normans, the feared rulers of the sea. They plundered and burned the monastery. Little more than a ruin remained of the "Monastery of the Angels." The first Flemish ruler to establish a political presence in West Flanders was Robert I the Frisian, the tenth Count of Flanders. His reign lasted from 1071 to 1093, and he had the fortified castle built on the site of the ruins. Ingelmunster's location, on the doorstep of West Flanders and along the waterway that crossed the military route between Kortrijk and Bruges, was of such strategic importance that it was called the "Key to Flanders." Ingelmunster Castle, which at that time was still a veritable "lock," offered the key to unlocking a tactical advantage. Source: https://kasteelvaningelmunster.be/historiek-kasteel/