Round towers
Dark roofs.
Wouter Hagens — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Herman.vandenbroeck — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Herman.vandenbroeck — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Davidh820 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Luc Borreman — CC BY-SA 4.0
Gaasbeek Castle stands in the municipality of Lennik in Flemish Brabant, central Belgium, about 12 km southwest of Brussels in a straight line. It is now a national museum, surrounded by a large park. The first fortified castle was built around 1240 to defend the Duchy of Brabant against the County of Flanders. In the early 16th century the House of Hornes inherited the estate and built a brick castle on the ruins of the old fortress. Several noble families lived in it over the following centuries, and it was later reshaped into its present form. With its large round towers under dark conical roofs and walls of red brick and stone, the castle stands on a green rise around an inner courtyard with a neat garden. A park with a lake reflecting the castle, gardens, lawns and tall trees surrounds it. Visitors tour the museum rooms inside the castle, stroll the park around the lake and visit the historic kitchen garden nearby. It is a quiet spot for a half-day outing from Brussels, best in spring and autumn.
Dark roofs.
Reflections.
A neat garden.
Lennik, Flemish Brabant, Belgium
Yes, half a day from Brussels.
Yes; the museum is ticketed.