Kasteel Bleijenbeek, Medieval castle ruin in Afferden, Netherlands.
Kasteel Bleijenbeek is a medieval castle complex with visible remains of residential towers, courtyard walls, and a gatehouse beside the southern tower. The rectangular layout and preserved stone structures reveal the original arrangement of the fortified residence.
The castle was built around 1300 and became a center of power struggles between different forces in the region. It was besieged multiple times and finally heavily damaged by bombing in 1945.
The castle reflects how nobility lived and defended their lands in this region. The building style with stone and brick construction was typical for the area and still shapes how the ruins appear today.
The ruins are currently closed to public access as the Bleijenbeek Foundation conducts ongoing restoration work. Visitors can view the site from outside and learn more about the preservation project.
During the final fighting in 1945, only fifteen German paratroopers defended the castle against British forces. This moment shows how the site remained strategically important until the very end of World War II.
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