Stapelen Castle - Boxtel

This fairy-tale castle from 1300 is a real eye-catcher! It is part of an urban estate on the spot where the Dommel river flows into the center of Boxtel. The moat that runs through the entire castle was bridged by a wooden drawbridge until 1965, when it was replaced by a fixed bridge.

The castle was given to Willem van Boxtel as a reward for his valiant battle in the Battle of Woeringen. Over the centuries it has been owned by the noble families Van Boxtel, Van Ranst and Van Horne. The chapel still contains an altarpiece from 1600 with the coat of arms of the Van Horne family.

Incidentally, the chapel has long been a place of pilgrimage because of the blood miracle that allegedly took place there in 1380. According to legend, a priest from Esch spilled wine from the chalice, the cloth that lay in front of the Epiphany altar of St. Peter's Church in Boxtel. The stains eventually turned out to be blood stains. He tried to scrub the stains away in the Boxtel water mill, but without success.

Since 2012, a labyrinth has been constructed near the castle. You can take a walk in the surrounding park and enjoy this beautiful, romantic place.