Wissekerke Castle

Wissekerke Castle, locally known as Kasteel Wissekerke, lies in the village of Bazel, in the province of East Flanders in the Flemish region in Belgium.

Already in the 10th century, a fortification stood at this site, although it might have been an earthen fort used to defend the area against Viking raids.

The construction of Wissekerke Castle began in the 13th century. In 1510, the castle was purchased by Lieven van Pottelsberghe, lord of Vinderhoute and a councilor to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. After his death in 1531, the castle was inherited by Servaas van Steelant.

Throughout the rest of the 16th century, Servaas significantly rebuilt the castle, especially after it was partially burned by Marnix de Sainte Aldegonde in 1583. The reconstruction focused mainly on comfort, and it lost most of its defensive features.

During the 19th century, Wissekerke Castle served as the residence of influential nobles, the Vilain XIIII family, who were mayors of the village for 139 years. Notable family members include Philipe Vilain XIIII and his wife, Sophie-Louise-Zoé de Feltz, who extensively rebuilt the castle and constructed the gatehouse. In the mid-20th century, the Vilain XIIII family left the castle, which was subsequently purchased by the local council.

Today, Wissekerke Castle is owned by the local council and functions as a museum and cultural venue. Visitors can tour the entire castle, including the tower, for a small fee. It’s a very nice castle.

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