Once upon a time, a mighty castle lay here; nowadays, only the castle hill can still be seen. Bronkhorst Castle was the ancestral home of the influential knights of Bronckhorst. They resided here from the twelfth century onwards. Bronkhorst, which has had city rights since 1482, arose as a settlement on the castle's outer bailey. The Van Bronckhorst family, who held important positions in the Duchy of Gelre, died out in 1553, after which the castle came into the hands of the Van Limburg Stirum family. During the Eighty Years' War, the castle was set on fire by the Spaniards, but was made inhabitable again by the Van Limburg Stirum family.
In the 17th century, the castle changed hands a number of times, after which decay set in in the 18th century. Bronkhorst Castle was largely demolished in 1828. The then owner, merchant Ketjenen, left a small section standing, which he converted into a residence. In 1902, this too was demolished and only the hill remained.
The chapel, which was erected in the town of Bronkhorst by Gijsbrecht van Bronckhorst, is still there. Just like the church in Hall, which has special paintings that were probably made to celebrate the marriage of Joost van Bronckhorst and Maria van Hoya in 1515.
Castle ruins of Bronkhorst
Kasteelweg
7726 LK
Bronkhorst
Contact details
W: https://kastelen.nl/
Free to visit.