Waterburcht Pietersheim

Lanaken, Belgium, Belgium

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Waterburcht Pietersheim is a 12th‑century medieval water castle and archaeological site in the former royal estate of Pietersheim, located in Lanaken, Limburg, Belgium, set within a 76‑hectare domain that is part of the National Park Hoge Kempen and offers forest walks, a children’s farm and panoramic views over park and woods.

The oldest traces of a castle on this site date from the last quarter of the 11th century, and in the 12th century the lords of Pietersheim, among the most important vassals of the Count of Loon, built a true water castle with a moat, a central donjon (tower‑house), enclosing walls and a chapel that evolved into a large hall‑church, later connected to the castle by a covered gallery.

The castle was partially destroyed in 1378 by troops of the Prince‑Bishopric of Liège and Tongeren and rebuilt in the 15th century by the de la Merode family in a high‑Gothic style, only to be plundered and heavily damaged during the Eighty‑Years’ War and never fully restored, leaving today the ruins of the ring‑like defensive walls, the gate tower and the 16th‑century chapel hall as the main surviving elements.