The 1310 Kasteel van Beersel is the closest medieval castle to Brussels. And from outside it’s a beauty. The picture-perfect brick towers, rebuilt in 1498, are topped off with 17th-century roofs and rise proudly above a tree-ringed moat. However, it’s an empty shell, the building having been used as a cotton factory in the 19th century.
The castle is handily close to the west Brussels ring motorway (junction 19). By train from Brussels, you'll need to change at Halle, from which services run three times an hour to Beersel station, adjacent to the castle. Halle's interesting historic centre is worth a quick look while you’re in transit.
