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Wallonie

Durbuy Castle on the Ourthe River

Castles

Wallonie

Durbuy Castle on the Ourthe River

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Durbuy Castle on the Ourthe River

Recommended by 28 hikers out of 31

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Location: Durbuy, Marche-En-Famenne, Wallonie, Wallonia, Belgium

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Best Hikes to Durbuy Castle on the Ourthe River

4.3

(236)

1,453

hikers

1. Along the Ourthe – Durbuy Old Town and Castle loop from Durbuy

5.34km

01:29

100m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.5

(205)

1,565

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2. Along the Ourthe – Durbuy Old Town and Castle loop from Durbuy

9.80km

02:41

160m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

4.3

(69)

540

hikers

3. Durbuy Old Town and Castle – Durbuy Bridge - 1725 loop from Durbuy

10.2km

02:54

230m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

Tips

August 6, 2025

A beautiful view of the castle from the central courtyard in the town (on the Ourthe River, Sanglier des Ardennes, and the old bridge). You can clearly see the massive rock, as well as one side of the castle grounds.

A bit of history about the castle: Durbuy is first mentioned in 1078 (as Dolbui) and in 1084 (under its current name). The first traces of habitation were found during excavations in the Anticline Cave by Count Pierre d'Ursel. The d'Ursel family still lives in Durbuy Castle.

Before the current castle, others existed. According to the Luxembourg archives, one castle was destroyed, and in the 11th century, another was built by Henri II de Puer, who had received the estate from his mother, Rageline, sister of Pope Stephen II, and her husband, Albert II of Namur. Around 1156, that castle was severely damaged by fire, and during the Wars of Succession of the Duchy of Limburg, it was destroyed several more times.

From 1412 onwards, Durbuy came into the hands of the House of Burgundy, and at the end of the fifteenth century, the then existing castle was destroyed by Maximilian of Austria, as were all the castles of the van der Marck family: besides Durbuy, these also included the castles of Logne and La Roche.

In 1628, Antonie Schetz, Baron van Grobbendonck, leased the Durbuy estate for 40,000 gold marks, a very considerable sum. Besides being a baron, he was also Count of Grobbendonk, Lord of Tilburg and Goirle, Pulle and Pulderbos, and Wezemaal. He served in the Spanish service and led the defense of 's-Hertogenbosch during the Eighty Years' War. At 71, he was also governor of the city of Leuven during the Siege of Leuven.

And he was the first in a long line of the d'Ursel family who still inhabit the castle today.

In 1731, the castle was rebuilt by the then Duke of Ursel.
Countess Auguste d'Ursel, who acquired the d'Ursel family's estate in Durbuy, modernized the castle between 1880 and 1882 with the help of architect Thirian from Namur.

During World War II, the castle was occupied several times, and in 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, it was used as a field hospital by the American liberators, with the billiard table serving as an operating table.

Sources: Historical overviews in Word documents on the website of Count Jean-Michel d'Ursel, current resident, at chateaudedurbuy.be/historique.html

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 120 m

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Tuesday 11 November

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Location: Durbuy, Marche-En-Famenne, Wallonie, Wallonia, Belgium

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Durbuy Castle on the Ourthe River

1. Along the Ourthe – Durbuy Old Town and Castle loop from Durbuy

2. Along the Ourthe – Durbuy Old Town and Castle loop from Durbuy

3. Durbuy Old Town and Castle – Durbuy Bridge - 1725 loop from Durbuy

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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