CASTLES SCHILDE

Castle 's-Gravenwezel, also known as Kasteel de Pelichy, is a residential fortress east of 's-Gravenwezel village in Schilde, Antwerp province. Dating to the 13th century as a fortified stronghold, it was substantially rebuilt in 1740 by architect JP van Baurscheit. The castle features a distinctive U-shaped courtyard enclosed by well-maintained gardens planted with Rhododendron bushes, arched windows, stone bridges, terraced outdoor dining areas, an ornamental pool, and an orangery building. In 1984, Antwerp art dealer and collector Axel Vervoordt purchased the property, which now serves as his private residence and remains closed to the public. The castle represents both medieval fortification and refined neoclassical elegance.

Kasteel Pulhof is a provincial domain in the Antwerp Kempen on the border of Wijnegem and Schilde, with its earliest documented mention dating to the early 14th century. Originally a fortified settlement, it evolved in the early 15th century into a country estate with agricultural operations. The Renaissance-style pleasure house features a gatehouse with two round towers and a square tower above the entrance gate, with galleries, a chapel, and corner towers within the inner courtyard. Spanish governor Alexander Farnese famously occupied the castle in 1576, later burning it upon departure, earning it the historic nickname "Burned Court." Protected as a monument since 1994, the castle park is distinguished by rhododendrons and ancient trees.

Fort van 's-Gravenwezel is an early 20th-century military fortification built between 1909 and 1912 in Schilde, Belgium, designed as part of Antwerp's defensive line. The fort briefly resisted German forces in October 1914 before Antwerp's fall; military abandonment followed in 1947 with subsequent demolition of most original structures, leaving scattered ruins. Today the fortified domain functions as Schildestrand, a recreational camping area, with a historic clubhouse for a local mandolin society, though the fort structure itself remains closed to the general public. Visitors can access the surrounding landscape through established cycling and walking routes, including the Antitankgracht route for cyclists and the Kempense Hoven hiking network connecting nearby historic estates.

Schans van Schilde is a brick and concrete fortification built between 1909 and 1912 in Schilde, Belgium, as part of the regional defensive system protecting the Turnhoutsebaan road between Fort 's-Gravenwezel and Fort Oelegem. During World War I, it provided supporting fire against German forces until Belgian troops deliberately destroyed it on October 9, 1914, to prevent enemy capture, leaving it unused since that period. Now managed as a recreational walking area and nature reserve by the municipality, the site houses a fishing club utilizing the moat and serves as a designated bat habitat protecting seven overwinter species including the common big-eared bat and Bechstein's bat. Visitors enjoy woodland exploration through the Kempense Hoven walking network and the antitank canal trail system.