Fortified castle of Solre-sur-Sambre

Erquelinnes, Belgium, Belgium

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The Fortified Castle of Solre‑sur‑Sambre (Château‑fort de Solre‑sur‑Sambre) is a medieval water castle in the village of Solre‑sur‑Sambre, part of the municipality of Erquelinnes in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium, situated on the banks of the Thure and near the Sambre rivers.

It is one of the oldest fortified castles in Hainaut, originally built in the 12th century and later developed as a major 14th‑century stronghold, close to an historic Liège enclave, and it served as a defensive position guarding the frontier between the County of Hainaut and the Prince‑bishopric of Liège.

The castle is a well‑preserved example of medieval military architecture: it retains its quadrilateral plan with four circular corner towers, a main façade formed by a large multi‑storey donjon, flanking towers, and surrounding moats fed by the Thure, while the surrounding stone walls and buildings outline the interior courtyard and dependencies.