The castle of Vorselaar

Castle Borrekens, also known as the castle or Chateau Borrekens Vorselaar is a moated castle in the Belgian town of Vorselaar. The castle was built around 1270 by the Knights of Rotselaar Arnolf Rotselaar and Gerard Rotselaar. The floor plan of this stone-built medieval castle is largely preserved through the centuries. The castle consists of white sandstone coming from the town of Grimbergen.

Picture by Leen

In 1678 the castle was restored and partly rebuilt by its new owner: Father Charles Eugeen d'Arenberg, he also surrounded it with stone walls.  A third and final remodeling phase happened between 1862 and 1885 and was done by Philippe van de Werve, the mayor of Vorselaar at that time. He has given the castle its current neo-Gothic look. After his marriage to Marie-Eulalie Swirl, the castles and their surroundings came into the hands of Baron Edouard Adrien Borrekens. Later it was inhabited by Baron Raymond Borrekens, who died in 1998. The castle was then taken on a long lease by a family company. The town of Vorselaar is now the curator of the castle. Borrekens Castle is private property and not open to the public. You can however walk through the forest surrounding the moat.