Autelbas Castle

Autelbas Castle, locally known as Château d'Autelbas, is situated in a quiet rural village of the same name, in the province of Luxembourg in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

The village of Autelbas dates back to the 10th century as the presence of a dispensary of Carolingian potters attests. Built near a brook which fed its former moat, the castle dates back to the 13th century.

During the 14th century Autelbas Castle became the stately home of the d'Autel family and was an important place of resistance against Burgundy rule. In 1377, its owner; Huart d'Autel, was provost of the city of Arlon.

In 1413 the castle was besieged and ruined, only to be rebuilt in 1432. It's the remains of that castle which we see today. From then on the castle passed calmly through the ages, despite family conflicts.

In 1983, Autelbas Castle fell victim to a large fire and burned to the ground. It has been a ruin ever since. In the last decades there have been some consolidation campaigns but it is clear that it still needs some considerable restoration works for it to survive.

This is a charming ruin with lots of nice architectural details. Too bad it's in such a bad shape. Because of its dangerous condition, access is prohibited.

The pictures below are from 2 different visits. Spot the differences...

Gallery

2005

 2021