We enjoyed our walk around the Castle, but we found it difficult to work out how the various parts related to each other. It is much easier to understand from the photo above.
Our first view, from outside was the moat with its innumerable small towers.
And this is the sight of people and trams in the area in front of the entrance to the Castle.
The Castle was built in 1180-1200 by Count Philip of Alsace. The cross in the upper part of the entrance celebrates Count Philip's return from the Crusades.
In the late 18th century, the Castle of the Counts was sold to private owners who later converted it into a factory complex. In 1807, the fortress in the heart of Ghent housed a cotton mill, and its outbuildings served as primitive dwellings for about fifty families of workers. When the mill and its workers left, the Castle of the Counts was in a state of complete disrepair, ready for demolition. Instead it was restored during the period 1893–1903.
Above is a close view of a different angle of the Donjon from the south.
We climbed the stairs inside the Donjon to reach the highest point which also gave us an idea of the number of towers there are to be seen in Ghent.
Descending to the very bottom we paused in the crypt.
Emerging, we went clockwise around the castle buildings to see them from a different angle .
The appearance is more romanesque.
This is the final angle in front of the Donjon.
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