Amblève Castle

Amblève Castle, locally known as Château d'Amblève, is situated in the woods northwest of the town of Aywaille, in the province of Liège in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

Amblève Castle was first mentioned in 1049. In 1252 it belonged to the Duchy of Limbourg and in 1285 to the Duchy of Brabant. After that it passed through several hands; Phillipe the Bold and the House of Burgundy amongst others.

In 1429 it came into possession, by marriage, of a family closely related to the De La Marck family. Evrard II de La Marck inherited the castle in 1531. His widow bequeathed it, in 1566, to her niece Isabeau de Hoisteden. In 1570 she married to François de Loncin who kept the castle until its destruction.

For in 1577, Amblève castle was occupied by a garrison of William of Orange who supported the Protestants and who organized the rising of the United Provinces against Spain. So in 1578, on order of the Spaniards, the castle was attacked and subsequently demolished by Catholic troops.

This is a great castle ruin. First there is a nice half hour walk through the woods after which it looms up through the trees. It's overgrown but offers a lot of architectural vestiges, such as several fireplaces and a cistern. Very nice to explore with an adventurous feel. Also from the site of the former keep you have a great view of the river below. A favorite.

The ruins are freely accessible.

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