Europe
Belgium
Ghent
Moated Castle
Gravensteen
Name:Gravensteen
Construction Period:ca. 1180–1200
Commissioned By:Philip of Alsace (Count of Flanders)
Architectural Style:Romanesque
Restoration:1889-1907
Restoration Architect:Jozef de Waele
Tallest Structure:Donjon, approx. 30 meters high
Annual Visitors:approx. 450,000 per year

22 Fascinating Facts about Gravensteen

 

  1. Location: The Gravensteen sits in the very heart of historic Ghent, just steps from the Leie canals. Major landmarks are only a short walk away, including the Belfry of Ghent, St Bavo’s Cathedral and the picturesque Graslei with its medieval guild houses.
  2. Significance: The Gravensteen is the only surviving medieval moated castle in Flanders and is widely regarded as Ghent’s most iconic landmark. It ranks among Belgium’s most impressive fortresses and draws more than 400,000 visitors each year.
  3. Roman Settlement: Long before the first castle rose here, the area was already inhabited in Roman times. Archaeological finds suggest that its location along the waterways made it an important point within the Roman transport and trade network, possibly even serving as a small outpost. What this early settlement looked like, however, can no longer be reconstructed.
  4. The First Castle: Around the year 870, Count Baldwin I is believed to have built a wooden fortress on this site. It was intended to defend against the feared Viking raids and likely consisted of a wooden tower set on an artificial mound, enclosed by palisades and defensive ditches. Although written sources are missing, archaeological traces point to its violent destruction by Vikings in the late 9th or early 10th century.
  5. The Second Castle: In the early 11th century, the first stone castle was constructed on the site. It featured a ceremonial hall building enclosed by a curtain wall and was much smaller than the later complex. Its purpose was to secure the counts’ authority and strengthen Ghent’s defences. In 1128, however, it was besieged and destroyed by supporters of Thierry of Alsace during the struggle for the Flemish succession. The conflict broke out after the murder of Charles the Good, sparking disagreement over who should inherit the county. William Clito was backed by the French king, while Thierry relied largely on the loyalty of the Flemish cities. Thierry’s followers ultimately stormed the castle, destroyed it and cleared the path for his rise as the new Count of Flanders.
  6. Construction History: Beginning in 1180, Count Philip of Alsace commissioned the construction of the castle as it stands today. Its roughly 30-meter-tall donjon and oval courtyard were conceived as a striking symbol of authority. The new fortress was equipped with a massive curtain wall featuring 24 small round towers and a broad moat. Expansion continued into the 13th century as the complex was upgraded to meet more modern defensive needs.
  7. Siege of 1301: In the early 14th century, tensions in Ghent escalated sharply over the unpopular maltote beer tax. After the royalist councillors, who supported Philip the Fair, reinstated the tax in 1301 despite its earlier abolition, they barricaded themselves inside the Gravensteen with their supporters. Armed citizens laid siege to the castle. Contemporary reports describe how the largely defenceless occupants were killed or brutally mutilated in a bloody massacre when the castle was forced to surrender.
  8. City Council, Court and Prison: In the 14th century, the Counts of Flanders moved their residence to the Hof Ten Walle, later known as the Prinsenhof, causing the Gravensteen to lose its residential function. From the 15th century onward, the castle served as the seat of the Flemish court, and the Great Hall became the prestigious meeting chamber of the Council of Flanders. The cellars contained prison cells and a torture chamber, a use that continued until the 18th century. Between 1353 and 1491, Ghent’s municipal mint also operated within the Gravensteen, producing the city’s silver coins.
  9. Siege of 1452: Duke Philip the Good sought to impose new taxes on salt and flour, which would have placed a significant burden on Ghent. At the same time, he aimed to curtail key municipal privileges, including self-governance, independent jurisdiction and control over major taxes. These plans threatened the city’s political and economic autonomy. When the conflict escalated in 1452, Ghent’s forces besieged the pro-Burgundian town of Oudenaarde. Philip retaliated by bombarding Ghent. The uprising ended in 1453 with Ghent’s defeat at the Battle of Gavere, after which the city lost many of its historic rights.
  10. Textile Factory: After the Gravensteen passed into private ownership in the 18th century, the site developed into an industrial complex with cotton mills, workshops and modest workers’ housing. By the 19th century, the courtyard had been almost completely built over, large sections of the moat were filled in and the former comital stronghold resembled a densely packed workers’ district. Toward the end of the century, the factories moved out, leaving behind a severely deteriorated structure that at one point was even considered for demolition.
  11. Major Restoration: By the late 19th century, the Gravensteen was on the brink of demolition. The city of Ghent, together with committed citizens, chose to save it, bought back the ruin in 1887 and launched an extensive restoration campaign in 1893 under architect Joseph De Waele. He rebuilt the castle in the spirit of romantic historicism. When it was ceremonially reopened in 1907, and especially after the 1913 World’s Fair, the Gravensteen emerged as one of Ghent’s best-known landmarks.
  12. Student Protest: On 16 November 1949, more than 130 Ghent students occupied the Gravensteen to protest a proposed beer tax. They barricaded the castle, hung humorous banners and pelted police and firefighters with overripe fruit. The action ended without injuries. Police eventually cleared the castle, the students were not charged and the beer tax was introduced despite the protest.
  13. The Donjon: The donjon forms the heavily fortified core of the Gravensteen and was built around 1180 under Count Philip of Alsace, who was likely inspired by Crusader fortresses in the Holy Land. The massive rectangular tower served as the safest refuge and housed both living quarters and formal reception rooms, giving the count an expansive view over the city. Today, a narrow staircase leads to a viewing platform from which visitors can look across Ghent and explore exhibitions on the castle’s history.
  14. The Curtain Wall: The curtain wall, built in the 12th century under Philip of Alsace, traces a slightly oval line punctuated by 24 semicircular towers. A continuous wall walk with arrow slits and machicolations made the entire fortification accessible for defence. In the 19th century, numerous additions concealed much of the structure. During the restoration around 1900, the wall was uncovered and partially reconstructed, revealing its medieval character once again.
  15. The Moat: The moat was created in the 12th century during the expansions under Philip of Alsace. It made use of the castle’s position between the branches of the Leie and the Lieve, which had provided natural protection from the very beginning. In later centuries, the moat lost its purpose, was partly filled in and became overlapped by housing and industrial buildings. Only during the restoration around 1900 was it reopened and enlarged, giving the Gravensteen once again the appearance of a genuine medieval moated castle.
  16. The Palas: The palas served as the ceremonial residential and administrative wing of the counts and, together with the donjon, formed the centre of power within the castle. Its spacious halls hosted receptions, banquets and consultations that shaped courtly life. The adjoining living quarters were remarkably comfortable for their time. After the counts relocated their main residence to the Prinsenhof, the palas lost its significance and was later put to various other uses.
  17. The Cellars and Torture Chamber: For centuries, the cellars housed prison cells and dungeons, including the notorious “shaft of oblivion,” into which prisoners were lowered almost without hope of return. Under the authority of the Council of Flanders, the area also served as a torture chamber where confessions were extracted. Executions were usually carried out on the square in front of the castle, which functioned as a public execution site and is today an ordinary city square.
  18. Museum: Today, the Gravensteen contains a museum that presents the castle’s history from several angles. Visitors encounter exhibitions on topics such as weaponry, power and justice, and the walk through the former dungeons is particularly memorable. The earlier exhibition, which placed heavy emphasis on torture instruments and shock value, has been substantially toned down and redesigned to be far more family-friendly.
  19. Hidden Van Eyck Mural: During the Van Eyck Year 2020/21, the city of Ghent commissioned a modern mural by the Spanish artist Taquen on a building wall beside the castle. It is based on Jan van Eyck’s “Man in a Red Turban,” one of the finest portraits of the 15th century. The mural was intentionally positioned so that it is visible almost solely from one of the castle’s tower windows.
  20. The Legend of the Lion’s Cage: According to legend, a Flemish count kept a live lion in the courtyard of the Gravensteen to intimidate his enemies and throw traitors to the beast. Historical sources do confirm that lions were present in Ghent during the Middle Ages—initially at the Gravensteen and later at the Prinsenhof. The circular masonry in the courtyard is therefore often interpreted as the “lion’s cage,” although no historical evidence supports this. It was most likely an old well.
  21. Legend of the “Beheading Bridge”: At the site of today’s “Beheading Bridge” beside the castle, a father and son were supposedly sentenced to death in 1371. The son was given the choice of killing his father to save his own life. When he raised the sword, however, the blade is said to have shattered miraculously, a sign interpreted as divine intervention that secured both their pardons. The story became so well known in Ghent that statues once stood on the bridge to commemorate it. A painting from the early 17th century depicting the scene still hangs in the STAM city museum.
  22. Name Origin: The name “Gravensteen” means “Castle of the Counts” and refers to the fortress’s role as the stone residence of the Counts of Flanders. Because steen was a common medieval term for any stone-built stronghold, the meaning of the name follows directly from its historical function.