Why does Belgium have so many castles?

Belgian castles include both the fortified structures which were used for defence and battle in the Middle Ages, and imperial residences such as palaces and mansions owned by Belgian royalty and nobility. Many castles in Belgium have been in existence centuries before the Belgian nation was established in 1830.



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Wales. While Germany may have the most amount of castles, Wales is the country with the most castles per square mile. Despite its small size, Wales had over 600 castles. Today over 400 castles still stand and are waiting to be explored by visitors.

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Castles were common in Europe during the Middle Ages and were often the homes of royal families or other powerful people. The main purpose of castles was to protect the people who lived there from invasions. They were also a status symbol to show other people how important a family was.

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In order to defend their holdings from invading armies and rival families, the nobility built castles all over the area. Today some are in ruin, but many have been restored to either their original design or following fanciful 19th century creations.

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The End of Castle Building By the 14th century, the golden age of castle building was coming to an end. With the advent of gunpowder, castles were no longer the impregnable fortresses they had once been. The pounding of cannon fire could breach the walls and leave the castle vulnerable and open to attack.

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There are approximately 3,000 castles scattered all over Belgium, from the northern Flanders region all the way to the southern region of Wallonia.

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Whilst the exact number is not known, experts have estimated that Germany is home to over 20.000 castles. From castles that look like they come straight out of a fairy tale to medieval fortresses with moats, Germany features some of Europe's most impressive castles and palaces.

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The Czech Republic has the highest castle-density in the world. Get your fix of medieval charm with more than 2,000 around the country to Czech out.

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There are more than 30,000 castles and ruins left in Ireland today, most dating from the 12th to 16th centuries. Visiting a few (or many) of them will allow you to learn about Irish history right from the source.

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Converted into a donjon around 950, Château de Doué-la-Fontaine in France is the oldest standing castle in Europe.

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The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork (Polish: Zamek w Malborku; German: Ordensburg Marienburg) is a 13th-century Teutonic castle and fortress located in the town of Malbork, Poland. It is the largest castle in the world measured by land area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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The oldest castle in the world that we currently know about is the Aleppo Citadel in Aleppo, Syria. It was constructed sometime around 3000 BCE!

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Medieval Castle: Motte and Bailey Castles Motte and Bailiey castles were the earliest form of medieval castles built completely from scratch by the Normans. As their name suggests they had two parts the Motte and the Bailey. The Motte was a large hill made of earth on which was built a wooden keep or lookout.

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