Gravensteen

Om museet

The Gravensteen owes its existence to the counts of Flanders. In the ninth century Count Baldwin II had fortifications built at strategic points, and his son Arnulf I continued this work with a stronghold in Ghent on the site of the present Gravensteen. In the eleventh century a luxurious residence of Tournai limestone replaced the wooden structure, and a century later it became a motte castle.

In 1180 Count Philip of Alsace had the castle rebuilt into an imposing stone fortress, with a keep about thirty metres high, a curtain wall with twenty-four small turrets and a gatehouse. According to a chronicle of the time, this was meant to curb the arrogance of the people of Ghent. The Gravensteen was never a permanent residence, but above all the administrative centre of the county. From the 14th century the Council of Flanders sat there, and the building also served as a prison with feared dungeons.

In the 18th century the court of justice moved out and the building was sold. It became an industrial complex with cotton-spinning mills and an alley of workers' houses known as the Cité Hulin. At the end of the 19th century the city and the Belgian state bought the site back, and architect Jozef De Waele restored the castle in a romantic style. From 1907 the Gravensteen was open to the public; the 1913 World Exhibition made it the biggest tourist attraction in Ghent.

Today you visit the castle with an audio guide, including the comedy audio tour by Wouter Deprez, along narrow tower staircases, battlements, halls and cellars.

Højdepunkter

• Medieval castle from 1180, built by Count Philip of Alsace
• Audio guide included: the comedy tour by Wouter Deprez or the Big Five
• Keep, tower staircases and battlements with views over Ghent
• Dungeons and the former court of the Council of Flanders
• Little Guide children's treasure hunt for ages 3 to 8
• Children's birthday parties in the castle

Permanent udstilling

• Gravensteen: middeleeuwse burcht – The castle of the counts of Flanders with keep, tower staircases, battlements, halls and dungeons, visited with an audio guide.

Grundlagt

1907

Ejer

Stad Gent (Historische Huizen Gent)

Entrépriser & rabatter

Gratis entré: Free for Ghent residents (registered in Ghent) on the first Sunday of the month and during the Gentse Feesten (Ghent Festivities).

Teachers with a teacher's card pay €13. Free admission is also available to Ghent residents up to age 18, pupils from Ghent schools (with mandatory online reservation), accredited guides, members of the Flemish museum association and ICOM, holders of a CityCard, and the press by appointment. Holders of a UiTPAS Regio Gent with the social rate (kansentarief), Iedereen Verdient Vakantie and Vrijuit pay €3. Online reservation is recommended; online tickets are not refundable. With the NMBS Discovery ticket you get access to the Gravensteen and a discount on the train journey.

Tilgængelighed

• Kørestolsvenlig: findes ikke
• Elevator: ingen oplysninger
• Handicaptoilet: ingen oplysninger
• Handicapparkering: ingen oplysninger
• Servicehunde tilladt
• Taktile tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Rundvisninger på tegnsprog: ingen oplysninger
• Letlæste tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Synstolkning: ingen oplysninger

The Gravensteen is not accessible to wheelchair users: the castle has more than 480 steps, mainly in four narrow spiral staircases, and the rooms to visit are either below ground or high up. Assistance dogs are welcome. For people with hearing impairments there is a visioguide in Flemish or international sign language and in text, included in the ticket. Toerisme voor Autisme has produced a visual step-by-step guide.

Børn og familie

Velegnet til børn og familier

• Familieomvisninger & workshops
• Opgavehæfte, skattejagt eller audioguide for børn
• Børnefødselsdage

Children aged 3 to 8 can use the Little Guide to search for the missing jester (included in the ticket, in five languages); the comedy audio guide is aimed at children from age 8. Birthday parties for children from the first to the sixth year of primary school last 150 minutes (€175 for up to 15 children). Once a year the Feest in 't Kasteel takes place.

Transport & parkering

The Gravensteen lies in Ghent's low-emission zone; vehicles without a Belgian or Dutch number plate must register via lez.gent.

Service & spisesteder

• Garderobe: findes ikke
• Opbevaringsskabe: findes ikke

Luggage and backpacks cannot be stored: there are no lockers and no cloakroom. If there is room, you can leave them at your own risk in the stables. Smoking is forbidden across the whole site; eating and drinking are not allowed in the castle.

Arrangementer & udlejning

Museet har ikke offentliggjort oplysninger om dette.

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