Kasteel Van Obsinnich

Voeren, Belgium, Belgium

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Kasteel van Obsinnich (also spelled Opsinnich) is a historic castle in the hamlet of Remersdaal, part of the municipality of Voeren in Limburg, Belgium, situated at the foot of the Crapoel plateau near the river Gulp and set within a wooded landscape that includes the Bos van Opsinnich, part of the larger Beusdalbos.

The site already had a fortified castle in the early 13th century, which in 1285 was captured by Duke John I of Brabant and in 1288, after the Battle of Woeringen, was completely burned down, and the present building was erected on the same spot on the right bank of the Gulp, with the oldest surviving part being a round corner tower dating from 1641, while the rest of the structure mainly dates from the 17th and 18th centuries and retains a relatively simple, classical appearance without the ornate decoration found in nearby castles such as Beusdael.

From the 15th century until the 18th century the castle belonged to the powerful Limburg family d’Eynatten, who influenced many of its later changes, and in 1772 it was sold to the Fürstenberg family, known for their ownership of other castles in the Voerstreek, before in 1961 the estate was sold to a foundation of the Diocese of Liège, which converted it into Castel Notre‑Dame, a holiday and retreat centre for young people and groups, now managed by an organization in the Belgian Voerstreek and opened to groups for stays, courses and spiritual activities.