The best road cycling routes around Vorselaar

Generations of castle lords and the village community have cared for the magnificent heritage we have today. We must cherish this legacy with care. Everyone has a responsibility in this regard: the government, the owners, and certainly also the visitors. We all want to safeguard this for future generations. VORSELAAR: Proposal to protect the castle "de Borrekens", the rectory, the immediate surroundings of the castle, and the linden avenue as a village landmark. The castle was built in the thirteenth century as a military fortification for the Duke of Brabant, granted as a fief to the Lord Van Rotselaer. The latter gave the fortification, which had the character of a moated castle, the ground plan that can still largely be seen today. Little is known about its evolution since the thirteenth century. The castle is depicted in a print by Ertinger in the second half of the seventeenth century and published by Jacques Le Roy. This shows that the current castle's core still largely reflects this condition. The building's military character was lost in the eighteenth century, and it was converted into a "house of pleasure." This involved the demolition of several surrounding walls and defensive towers, and the moat separating the forecourt from the castle was filled in. Simultaneously or shortly before, several embellishments were carried out on the castle, with J.P. van Baurscheit as the architect. The buildings in the forecourt were constructed during the same period. In the 1850s and 1860s, restoration work was carried out in keeping with the fashion of the time. Several dormers, stepped gables, fireplaces, turrets, and battlements were added in the Neo-Gothic style. The interior was also altered during this period and in the same style. Although this renovation significantly altered the castle's appearance, the renovation itself is remarkable as a testament to the Neo-Gothic style that emerged in our region around 1850.

Handy for refilling water

@geel, arendonk, retie, ... : can you take an example

Herentals-Grobbendonk You can count them on the fingers of one hand, the military and strategic railway lines and rail connections that survived the systematic dismantling of this specific network and the subsequent tabula rasa in the period 1990-2010. Even recently we had to witness with regret how the large 'camp' of Leopoldsburg was mercilessly abandoned. One of the first 'victims' was the military railway line from Herentals to Grobbendonk. This relatively recent railway line was only built after WWII to supply a large fuel depot of the British army, between the village centre and the Albert Canal. Of course, it was the latter that won the most praise, so that the railway line was rarely used, and not at all after the depot was taken over by the Belgian army in the early 1970s. In 1980, it had clearly been unused for many years (here next to and below), but was nevertheless preserved just in case... It was not until a few years later that the NMBS finally received permission to break out the junction. But unlike most other military and strategic railway lines, the track was not broken up. And so it is still there today, after more than half a century of disuse. https://www.railations.net/vergetensporen.html

A bridge provides a connection between two banks. Usually a bridge is over water: a ditch, a canal, moat, river, lake, ravine, ...

Seeing this amazing moated castle on site was one of the highlights of the day. We were lucky that the sun was shining on the castle at just the right moment, so it looked really picturesque. The castle is far enough away from the forest, and the moat is wide enough, that it is not unlikely that you will be able to enjoy this. You can also drive behind the castle, but the prettier side is the front and left side.

Very authentic café as if time stood still for 50 years. Nice courtyard with terrace and terrace at the front.

git