Castle “d’Aspremont Lynden” at Oud-Rekem (Belgium)

Castle “d’Aspremont Lynden” at Oud-Rekem (Belgium)

The history of this castle goes back to the 9th century when there was a medieval stronghold on this spot that was replaced by an oval fortress in the 14th century.

The present castle was constructed in 1597 in the style of Maasland renaissance, commissioned by the noble and very wealthy family d’Aspremont-Lynden.

The castle became the heart of the local barony(°) Rekem.
The prosperous barony was in 1623 promoted by Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II to an imperial county first and later became even a mini ‘kingdom’ with its own money, tollhouse and army.

At the end of the 18th century, the French revolution came by and put an end to the feudal system.

In the nineties of last century, restoration works took place whereby the valuable architecture was polished up.

(°) : a barony was a more or less independent part of a county under the leadership of a baron (17th & 18th century)