Hellenburg Castle

Hellenburg Castle, locally known as Kasteel Hellenburg, lies west of the village of Baarland, in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands.

Hellenburg Castle is first mentioned in 1312. Probably this castle was preceded by a wooden tower, though archaeological excavations didn't provide proof for this assumption. The castle belonged to the Lords of Renesse and consisted of a heavy square keep with sides of some 7 meters long and 2 meter thick walls.

After some renovations and additions, which took place in the 14th and 15th century, the castle got its final shape in 1450. It then consisted of a castle and a bailey surrounded by a moat. The bailey never had a military function due to the fact that its walls were just 60 cm thick. The castle was equipped with 9 towers, had a length of 40 meters, a width of 30 meters and walls between 1.20 and 1.40 meters thick.

The castle was lost as a result of a flooding caused by a storm disaster in 1477. In the 17th century nothing more remained than a ruin. These ruins were demolished in the 18th century, its stones used as building materials by the villagers of Baarland and the location of the castle was forgotten.

In the 1950s however, during groundwork for land divisions following the great flood disaster of 1953, the foundations of Hellenburg Castle were rediscovered. In 1960 and again 1977 the foundations were consolidated to show the ground plan more clearly and to protect it from stone robbing by people who wanted to use the stones for garden decoration.

A not very exciting ruin. It is freely accessible.

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