Kasteel Calixberg, château in Schoten, Belgium
Kasteel Calixberg is a castle complex dating from the 1600s in Schoten, built from red brick and sandstone with Gothic-inspired design elements. The main building features an L-shaped layout with a rounded extension and corner tower on the east side, set within an 18th-century English landscape park complete with moats, ponds with islands, and outbuildings including a gatehouse, gardener's residence with orangery, and coach house.
A fortress called the Burcht of Schoten stood on this site from the 11th century until it was destroyed by fire. A new castle was built in the early 1600s at a nearby location, later enlarged substantially in the late 1800s when the Van Praet family owned it, creating the structure visible today.
The estate reflects the lifestyle of nobility across centuries, with each family adding their own touches to the buildings and grounds. The chapel dedicated to Mary and the English landscape park show how religious devotion and aesthetic ideals shaped life on this landed property.
The site is located in a quiet area near Borgeindstraat and Calesbergdreef with good visibility from outside. Although the castle is not always open to the public, visitors can typically view the exterior and wander through the park grounds to appreciate the architecture and landscape.
After the original medieval fortress burned down, the ruins were covered by a mound of earth that hid the archaeological remains for centuries. This hidden layer beneath the current grounds represents two distinct periods of castle building separated by time and destruction.
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