Kasteel Van Heetvelde

Belgium, Belgium

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Kasteel van Heetvelde (also called Het Waterkasteeltje or Kasteel van Oetingen) is an old water castle in the village of Oetingen, part of the municipality of Gooik in Flemish Brabant, Belgium, situated on the former strategic border between the Duchy of Brabant, the County of Hainaut and the County of Flanders, and originally the residence of the lords of Heetvelde.

The site evolved from a medieval defensive water castle into a 17th‑century reconstruction that retained older elements, including a square donjon (tower) dating from the end of the 16th century with only minor changes in the 18th and 19th centuries, while the main block consists of a high four‑storey donjon on the east, a two‑storey wing of seven bays with an projecting round tower on the north, and a lower square building or chapel on the west, all set in a brick‑and‑sandstone style with firing slits that indicate its former defensive role.