Stunning 4.95m Euro Schaloen Castle For Sale In Limburg, Netherlands

Stunning Castle Surrounded by Nature

There is so much to love about this stunning castle for sale located in Limburg, Netherlands. Access to the castle property is via a beautiful driveway, covered with lime trees, where you will find the Schaloen Castle in Oud Valkenburg. Via an intermediate bridge, you arrive at the island on which Schaloen Castle is built. The total area is approximately 10,000 square meters. The Schaloen Castle stands between two other castles, the Castle East and Castle Genhoes. These three castles are located in a 400-hectare nature reserve. It is a protected natural area. The castle has been beautifully restored on the inside for the most part. Behind the castle flows the fastest river in the Netherlands, the Geul. These channel beds in the beautiful landscape show the past of the meandering river. The ornamental garden around the castle also looks beautiful. The castle also has outbuildings, a gatehouse, tithe barn, and economy building which can be purchased separately.

Rich Historical Background

The castle has an interesting history which began around the year 1200 when the Schaloen Castle was built as a fortress for the Hulsberg family. Unfortunately, little is known about the castle history of Schaloen. The remains of it can still be seen in the vaults of the current castle. Schaloen was an almost square building with two massive buttresses on each corner and an ark tower in the canopy. Around the roof, which stood in a tent shape within the walls, was a corridor, where the soldiers watched over the safety of the castle dwellers and their guests. To protect the soldiers against shelling from the outside, a barrage wall was erected. Shooting holes in this wall made it possible for the soldiers to defend themselves from the inside. The outbuildings were near the original castle on the right-hand side of the main building. From there a bridge over the swampy moat gave access to the island Schaloen. When the bridge was collected, the swamp formed an excellent line of defense.

Architectural Fortitude and Reconstruction

The walls of the Schaloen Castle in its first form are over two meters thick and built from basalt boulders. The doors were made of ten centimeters thick solid oak. This made the castle an almost impregnable fortress. Yet in 1575 the castle was almost completely burned down by war. The rebuilding of the castle was completed in 1656, which can still be seen in the year formed by the wall anchors in the then completed left extension.

Evolution from Fortress to Lusthof

Of the original construction around 1200, only the walls and two Arkel towers were left. Because the corridors were no longer rebuilt, there was no longer any question of a fortress. From that moment on the castle was often described as the Lusthof Schaloen. The outbuildings were omitted during the rebuilding in 1656. But the lord of the castle needed staff, workspace, and storage shed, so the outbuildings on the left side of the castle were built. In 1701 (this can also be seen in the wall anchors) a blacksmith and a workshop arose.