Ter Worm Castle, Castle and heritage site in Heerlen, Netherlands.
Ter Worm Castle is a brick manor house in Heerlen, in the Dutch province of Limburg, built on a T-shaped plan with two wings and an octagonal corner tower. A moat runs all the way around the building, which still stands largely intact today.
The castle was first built in the 14th century and went through a major rebuilding in the 17th century. That work turned it from a defensive stronghold into a comfortable home for a noble family.
The French rococo garden, with its symmetrical beds and trimmed boxwood, shows how the noble families who lived here wanted their property to look from the outside. Walking through it today gives a sense of how gardens were once used to signal taste and social standing.
The castle now operates as a hotel, so access to the grounds and interior is easiest for guests staying overnight or attending an event. A visit in dry weather lets you walk the gardens and get a clear view of the moat and tower from outside.
The bridge that crosses the moat to the main entrance was built in 1843 from marl, a soft limestone found in the region around Heerlen. Marl was commonly used for buildings here but is an unusual choice for a bridge, since it wears down quickly when exposed to rain and frost.
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