Castle and park Ter Rijst, Medieval castle estate in Heikruis, Belgium
Castle and park Ter Rijst is an estate with a main building featuring four wings surrounding a brick courtyard, with a triumphal arch entrance supported by four Doric columns and a clock-topped pediment. The grounds include wooded areas, three ponds, and manicured gardens arranged around the structures.
The estate originates from 1225 under Eggeric de Rist, built on the remains of an earlier settlement destroyed in 1169 by the Count of Hainaut. In the 1400s, Charles van der Noot constructed a new fortress that was later redesigned in neoclassical style.
The name 'Ter Rijst' comes from the original Flemish owners and appears in carved details above doorways that many visitors pass without noticing. The way the family lived and worked across centuries shaped how the buildings connect to each other and how paths wind through the grounds.
The grounds are open to visitors daily from sunrise to sunset and managed under Natuur Invest oversight. Plan enough time to explore the different areas of the property and surrounding green spaces, especially if you want to walk through the wooded sections.
Many visitors overlook that the English gardens in their current form were laid out only in the 1700s, creating a striking contrast with the medieval structures underneath. This layering of styles becomes visible when you notice how the pathways and plant choices differ between the formal courtyards and the surrounding parkland.
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