Top 12 Castles around Sint-Niklaas

The "Hof van Belsele" or "Bishop's Castle" was built in the 18th century and purchased by Bishop Maximilliaan van der Noot, who had it partially rebuilt in 1754 and designated as a retirement home for priests. In 1904, it was radically altered on behalf of Bishop Antoon Stillemans, designed by Stephan Mortier. In 1906, the Sisters of the Holy Angels came to this domain to take care of elderly priests. On the domain, one finds a castle with a former coach house and gardener's house. There are also several mansions, an 18th-century garden pavilion, and a grotto with a statue of a saint from 1935. All of this is located in a moated park with a pond and monumental trees. The former coach house, a private residence since 2003, has a neo-Gothic interior. The castle has an old core, but its appearance is neo-traditionalist with stepped gables and the like. The symmetrical brick building has a built-in turret above the entrance. Here too, there is a neo-Gothic interior decoration, and there is a private chapel. The domain of the Hof van Belsele is private, but is opened to the public on certain occasions such as Open Monument Day or Park Day. Source: Wikipedia & ontdeksintniklaas.be

Two facts about the Cortewalle castle (domain): * The castle was owned for centuries by the de Brouckhoven de Bergeyck family and has connections to Joos Vijd, the commissioner of the famous painting The Ghent Altarpiece by the Van Eyck brothers. * The domain once formed the setting for the popular series Kapitein Zeppos – a nice detail for fans of nostalgia Source: .waasland.be

Since a thorough renovation, the white castle on Anna Piersdreef is shining like never before. Very remarkable about this building: the chapel is attached to the castle. This immediately explains the other name for this historic site: Oud Geestelijk Hof. Even today, the social factor of the orphanage is still present. Directly opposite the castle building, there are still - albeit in more recent buildings - service centers for special youth care and other care facilities. But the castle site itself is now mainly Erfgoedhuis. You can visit the Erfgoedhuis on Wednesday afternoons and Sunday afternoons, each from 2 PM to 5 PM. The showpiece of the building is the 18th-century chapel, which has been restored to its full glory, including wooden benches, a confessional, and an organ. Furthermore, here you travel through 700 years of history of Beveren and its sub-municipalities, through a monument that successively served as a knight's residence, pleasure palace, monastery, school, and orphanage. A timeline makes everything clear, and on the top floor, the 'Heemkundige Kring Het Land van Beveren' organizes temporary exhibitions on history and heritage. Interesting for art lovers: the building also houses the municipal art collection and is open for exhibitions. Associations can meet in the beautiful chapel. As early as the Middle Ages, there was a moated farm with a central courtyard on the current site of Hof ter Welle. During the Renaissance, it became a stately castle and took on its current form. The owner of the domain was the Vilain XIIII family, whom we also know from Wissekerke Castle in Bazel. But in 1723, the property was purchased by Anna Piers, who renamed it Oud Geestelijk Hof. The castle was converted into an orphanage for girls, and the chapel was also added during that period. In 1988, the last nuns left the premises. The service center Hof Ter Welle vzw took over the tasks and developed services in new buildings, but the castle stood abandoned in the meantime. In 2017, the Erfgoedhuis opened, and Hof Ter Welle began a new life. Hof Ter Welle should not be confused with Cortewalle, which can be found a bit further north in Beveren. Source: waasland.be

Wissekerke Castle...

Beveren purchased the estate in 1982. It boasts the striking 18th-century neoclassical castle, but the farm, ice cellars, and orangery are also worth a visit. During the Middle Ages, the estate was called "Shaecx" after the oldest residents of the fiefdom, the Noethaeckx family. This is how the place got its name. It was Jean-Baptist Versmessen, chief alderman of the Land van Waas castellany, who laid out the estate in its current form in 1781. The English landscape garden appears in 19th-century illustrations. It remained in the Versmessen family until textile manufacturer Edmond Meert purchased the property. The castle was severely damaged during WWII, leaving only a ruin. Restoration took place between 2004 and 2007, and it is now hoped to restore the interior to its former grandeur.

Hof ter Welle, also known as the Oud Geestelijk Hof is a former monastery and moated castle in Beveren, East Flanders that has been functioning as a heritage house since 2017. The history starts in the 13th century. The estate evolved from a moated farmstead, with a central courtyard, in the late Middle Ages to a Renaissance castle, inhabited until the seventeenth century. The last changes were made in the 19th century by the then resident diocesan sisters.

Beautiful domain with a beautiful park. In the summer months on Saturdays and Sundays the terrace is open in the coach house.

Hof Ter Saksen is a 19th-century castle estate that serves as an educational nature park. It is located on the border of Beveren and Haasdonk. The 27-hectare estate has been owned by the municipality of Beveren since 1982 and consists of fields, woodland, an arboretum, and a castle park.