🇧🇪 Belgium
Castles near Leuven
50 castles, fortresses, palaces and ruins within 100 km of the city centre — every one on the interactive map, with photos, distances and directions.
The closest is Arenberg Castle, 2 km south-west of the city centre; the most famous is Royal Palace of Brussels — #211 of 3,708 worldwide — 24 km west. The oldest dated site in the circle is Walzin Castle, founded 1000.
The 100 km circle reaches into 3 countries — Belgium (35), Netherlands (14), Germany (1).
Within 25 km of Leuven
- Royal Palace of Brussels
24 km west · Palace & château · #211 worldwide
The Royal Palace of Brussels is the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgians in the centre of the nation's capital, Brussels.
- Royal Castle of Laeken
24 km west · Castle · #311 worldwide
The Palace of Laeken or Castle of Laeken is the official residence of the King and Queen of the Belgians and the Belgian royal family.
- Arenberg Castle
2 km south-west · Castle
The Château of Arenberg or Arenberg Castle is a Flemish Renaissance style château in Heverlee, close to Leuven, Belgium. It is surrounded by a park.
- Egmont Palace
25 km west · Palace & château
The Egmont Palace, also sometimes known as the Arenberg Palace, is a neoclassical palace in Brussels, Belgium.
Day trips: 25–60 km
- Fort Breendonk
32 km north-west · Fortress
Fort Breendonk is a former military installation at Breendonk, near Mechelen, Belgium, which served as a Nazi prison camp during the German…
- Het Steen
44 km north-west · Fortress
Het Steen is a medieval fortress in the old city centre of Antwerp, Belgium, one of Europe's biggest ports.
- Beersel Castle
31 km south-west · Castle
Beersel Castle is a medieval castle located in Beersel, Flemish Brabant, Belgium.
- Alden Biesen Castle
57 km east · Castle
Alden Biesen is a 16th-century castle in the small village of Rijkhoven, municipality of Bilzen, province of Limburg, Belgium.
- Bouchout Castle
27 km west · Castle
Bouchout Castle (Dutch: Kasteel van Bouchout, pronounced [kɑˈsteːl vɑm ˈbuxʌut]; French: Château de Bouchout, pronounced [ʃɑto d bukawt]) is a castle…
- castle of Gaasbeek
37 km west · Castle
Gaasbeek Castle is a castle located in Lennik, Flemish Brabant, Belgium. Nowadays, it serves as a national museum. It is surrounded by a park.
- Citadel of Huy
55 km south-east · Fortress
The Citadel of Huy or the Fort of Huy, known locally as The Castle, is a fortress located in the Walloon city of Huy in the province of Liège,…
- Fortified Position of Namur
49 km south · Fortress
The fortified position of Namur was established by Belgium after the First World War to fortify the traditional invasion corridor between Germany and…
- Castle of Corroy-le-Château
38 km south · Castle
The Castle of Corroy-le-Château is a medieval castle in the village of Corroy-le-Château, near Gembloux, in the province of Namur, Wallonia, Belgium.
- Cortewalle Castle
48 km north-west · Castle
Cortewalle Castle is a moated castle in Beveren in East Flanders, Belgium.
Farther afield: 60–100 km
- Gravensteen
72 km west · Castle · #261 worldwide
The Gravensteen is a medieval castle in the city of Ghent, East Flanders in Belgium.
- Fort Eben-Emael
69 km east · Fortress · #265 worldwide
Fort Eben-Emael is an inactive Belgian fortress located between Liège and Maastricht, on the Belgian-Dutch border, near the Albert Canal, outside the…
- Palace of Aachen
98 km east · Palace & château · #383 worldwide
The Palace of Aachen was a group of buildings with residential, political, and religious purposes chosen by Charlemagne to be the center of power of…
- Château de Belœil
78 km south-west · Palace & château
The Château de Belœil is a château situated in the municipality of Belœil in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium.
- Walzin Castle
75 km south · Castle
Walzin Castle is a castle in the city of Dinant, Wallonia Belgium in the province Namur over the river Lesse, district of Dréhance.
- Ooidonk Castle
80 km west · Castle
Ooidonk Castle is a castle in the city of Deinze, East Flanders, Belgium. The castle is the residence of the current Count t'Kint de Roodenbeke.
- Prinsenhof
72 km west · Palace & château
The Prinsenhof or Hof ten Walle was a historic building in Ghent, East Flanders in Belgium.
- Prince-Bishops' Palace
66 km south-east · Palace & château
The Palace of the Prince-Bishops is a historic building situated on the Place Saint-Lambert in the centre of Liège, Belgium.
- Castle of Vêves
76 km south · Castle
The Castle of Vêves occupies a rocky platform in Wallonia just outside the village of Celles, in the province of Namur, Belgium.
- Valkenburg Castle
79 km east · Ruin
Valkenburg Castle is a ruined castle in Valkenburg aan de Geul, Netherlands. It is unique in the Netherlands in that it is the only castle in the…
- Kasteel Hoensbroek
85 km east · Castle
Hoensbroek Castle or Gebrook Castle is one of the largest castles in the Netherlands. It is situated in Hoensbroek, a town in the province of Limburg.
- Château de Lavaux-Sainte-Anne
89 km south · Palace & château
The Castle of Lavaux-Sainte-Anne is a castle located in Wallonia near Rochefort, Province of Namur in Belgium.
+ 24 more in this range — every one is on the interactive map.
Distances are straight-line from the city centre. City coordinates and population: Wikidata Q118958.
Frequently asked questions
How many castles are near Leuven?
The Castlemap atlas maps 50 landmarks (29 castles · 10 fortresses · 8 palaces & châteaux · 3 ruins) within 100 km of the centre of Leuven, measured straight-line — a curated selection of well-documented landmarks, not a count of every fortification ever built.
What is the closest castle to Leuven?
Arenberg Castle, a castle 2 km south-west of the city centre.
What is the most famous castle near Leuven?
Royal Palace of Brussels, ranked #211 of 3,708 worldwide in the atlas's fame ranking — 24 km west from Leuven.
What is the oldest castle near Leuven?
The oldest dated landmark in the circle is Walzin Castle, founded 1000 — 75 km south. Earlier structures may have existed; this is the oldest with a documented founding year.
Nearby city guides: Brussels (25 km) · Antwerp (44 km) · Namur (47 km) · Liège (66 km). See also medieval castles · all rankings · castles by country.