Who doesn’t love a great castle tour?
Maybe it’s a North American thing to be obsessed with castles. The closest we come to it here are the “castle wannabes” built by the obscenely rich.
But wait … isn’t that exactly what happened in the centuries past? The obscenely rich, wanting to flaunt their wealth, built the great castles we admire today.
Take Gravensteen in Ghent, Belgium for example.
It was built in 1180 by Philip of Alsace, the Count of Flanders, as a deliberate show of power and wealth with the intention of intimidating those who opposed him.
Gravensteen remained the family residence until 1353 after which it went through a number of different lives – including that of a courthouse and prison. It quickly developed a reputation as a place used for torture and other atrocities which eventually led it to being slated for demolition in the late 1800s.
It was saved from the wrecking ball and restored for its architectural and historical significance, however some of the details of the current castle are not considered to be historically accurate.
Regardless, it’s an impressive place to visit.
We arrived shortly after the castle opened to the public for the day, which turned out to be good planning on our part. The site was relatively quiet and we were able to navigate around the building easily with minimal crowds. The same can’t be said for the long lines of students waiting at the entrance as we were leaving.
Which brings me to the tour itself.
It was a self-guided tour but this one was in the form of a fairy-tale like story told about the Count and life at the castle. I can’t vouch for how much was truth or fiction, but the narration was often laugh-out-loud funny … at least to me and my somewhat odd sense of humour.
I’m sure the story was written for adult audiences. It was filled with violence and sexual innuendo which left both Gilles and I wondering if children were given the same version of this story!!
By North American standards, the story we listened to simply would not fly on a school outing. Parents would be frothing at the mouth with outrage.
But the doors!!
It was like someone predicted that someday there would be a group of international door aficionados who would appreciate all the interesting and unusual doors throughout the castle.
There were so many doors to choose from that I decided to break it up into two posts, so stay tuned for more from Gravensteen.
This post has been brought to you this week by Thursday Doors with a side helping of implied violence and sexual impropriety. No doors were harmed in the making of this post.
Thursday Doors is hosted by Norm Frampton from Norm 2.0.
Joanne, that’s an interesting point about the obscenely rich people of the past being the ones who built the castles that we admire today. And whoever made up the recorded script for the tour with its innuendos must have had a wicked sense of humour.
Jude
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A great sense of humour makes any tour a pleasure. Having said that, I’ve been told mine is a rather odd one 😉
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[…] I had promised another look at the amazing doors within the castle of Gravensteen in Ghent, Belgium. If you missed part 1, you can view it here. […]
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I do love a good castle!! And this one is quite impressive! 🙂
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There’s nothing quite like a great castle tour to inspire the camera!
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The castles are amazing. I cannot imagine the manpower and materials required to build them. It is interesting how they withstand the test of time. You have brought to my attention the doors within a door in past posts. Thankful, no doors harmed:) Always interesting posts and I love the photos, Joanne.
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I agree that the sourcing of materials and labour required to build these huge structures must have been monumental. It’s a testament to have much money these people must have had compared to their more modest neighbours!
It’s always a pleasure to have you visit, Erica 🙂
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Such a fabulous castle, I’m glad it was saved. Thanks for the great photos, I felt like I was there with you.
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Thanks 🙂
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Oh my, oh my! I love it when I get this feeling that some doors were left somewhere for door lovers to find them. That first green beauty is a classic! ❤ ❤ ❤ And I laughed just imagining you giggling at the story. 😀
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It’s not very often you find a building that has many different styles of doors. It made this place rather special for a door enthusiast 🙂
It can be a little awkward on these tours when everyone is wearing headphones and you’re the only one who bursts out laughing 😆
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You’re right: I am impressed! And curious about the story… 🙂
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Sadly, I wouldn’t be able to do the story any justice 😏
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Wow, those doors are pretty imposing! For some reason, when I was reading your post I kept thinking how difficult it would be escape through those locked doors. Maybe I should be thinking about how well the doors protected the owners from outsiders, no?
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hahaha! Yeah, I’m guessing that’s the point although I admit I’m often thinking the same as you. 🙂
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You did a great job of photographing this huge castle, Joanne. The doors are indeed spectacular and that window with doors is especially unique. Thanks for taking us on the tour with you.
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Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for coming with me 🙂
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Ha, Joanne, as a former teacher I can tell you we would need to edit part of that field trip! The doors are beautiful and the castle IS very impressive. As North Americans, we do seem to obsess with them…how many wealthy folks have imported parts of European castles (and sometimes the WHOLE castle) just to have them. Or, they’ve built their own. Have you visited Boldt Castle in Alexandria Bay in the Thousand Islands?
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The Thousand Islands is one area I haven’t explored. The sad part is it’s relatively close.
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Those are all wonderful! You’re right; it IS almost as if somebody decided to make the most interesting doors they could think of, just for us!
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… and it was mighty kind of them 🙂
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I love old castles. Great doors!
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I think I could spend months travelling around Europe just visiting castles 🙂
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Great doors!
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Thank you! I agree 🙂
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Joanne, I must have gotten the ‘kiddie’ version of the tour when we were there. Just the facts man! But the doors; oh what a delight! I hope you are planning to show some of the objects of torture in your next post. I could not even imagine what they did with some of those things. Amazing images of an amazing place. You were very near ‘old town’, which has tons of original structures along narrow, winding cobblestone streets. Some of the best restaurants in town are found there, You could wander for days and not see the same structure twice. I love beautiful reminders of places we have visited. Thanks for this post.
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How long ago since you were there? The story really elevated this tour to a new level 😆
I wish we could have walked around the old town. It looked so interesting but when we finally exited the castle, the rain we had been promised started in a torrent. We walked for a bit to find a nice place for lunch hoping the rain would eventually stop by the time it finished. We lingered as long as we dared in the restaurant but the rain showed no sign of letting up so we headed back to Bruges 😕
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Joanne, we were there in May last year.
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A plethora of doors it seems Joanne. I was chuckling at the story and imagining such a thing being told here in Canada. I think not. 🙂 The castle sounds fascinating. Imagine if all of those doors could tell their tales over the centuries!
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When there is a restoration it’s hard to tell how old the doors really are. In this case, it was the number and variety of doors that caught my attention. I would have expected to see a continuing theme throughout the castle but the designs seemed all over the place.
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It is as imposing and intimidating today as it must have been in the middle ages!
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It was huge! I try to imagine what it would have been like on a typical bustling day.
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Great photos. How fun to tour an old castle! 💕
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Thank you. I have a fascination with castles and this one was a beauty.
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I figured that McMansions are a contemporary conceit – so I was surprised to learn that even in the iron age, the large bank and ditch structures were erected to protect, yes, but also to impress – “See? I have a 6 meter high gleaming white quartz barricade and you don’t. Bow before me, you lesser being you.”
I do enjoy your posts!
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Thanks for the high praise, Maggie. It’s much appreciated 💕
When the penny finally dropped on the whole flaunt and intimidate thing, it seemed so obvious. People haven’t changed a bit over the centuries.
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You’re right about the doors, Joanne. They’re wonderfully varied and just amazing. The tour sounds like a fun one. 🙂 I’m glad you took the time to visit.
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Thanks Diana. Visits of a couple of weeks never feel like enough. There is just SO MUCH to see and do!!
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Castles, doors, sex. Only you could combine the three! And I think KB is quite right – those Europeans are much more open about S.E.X. than we English and that attitude was most likely taken over to N. America.
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You forgot the violence. There was torture in there too 😉
I think we inherited our prudish tendencies from our English settlers. If France had won the Battle on the Plains of Abraham, we might be considerably more liberal in our attitudes toward sex. Damn you English! 😉
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Heehee…
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Great post! I’ve heard Ghent is a very interesting place to visit – we will have to spend some time in Belgium when we go back to Europe!
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I wish we could have spent more time walking around Ghent. The weather was truly miserable and when we came out of the castle it poured and poured – not exactly conducive for walking around. What little we saw in the pouring rain looked so interesting!
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I am chuckling over hear as I think about your laughter echoing within the walls of this castle as you listen to the guided tour. Such an interesting & fun collection of doors Joanne.
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… and that’s the problem when everyone is walking around with headphones, listening to the story, and I’m the only one who bursts out laughing. I did get a few strange looks 😏
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Beautiful shots, Joanne. I like that window with doors…Looking quite secured 🙂
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Even the windows got special treatment!
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I like to visit old castles and hear the history but I don’t think I’d want to live in one. They are so damp and dark. Built more for protection than comfort – I do love the green door
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When we toured Mont St-Michel, our tour guide did an excellent job of describing what it would have been like as a resident.
We see only the bare stone walls which look so cold and uninviting. The wealth of the owners would have provided deep rugs on the floors and coverings on the walls. In fact it would have been quite plush. However, true about the darkness, and I’m quite sure the fireplaces didn’t dispel all the dampness 🙂
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These are awesome shots, Joanne. Like many others, I especially like the “doors within a door”!
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This place was so interesting – especially combined with the story as you’re walking through it.
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Now THIS must have been quite an interesting visit. I love all of your door shots but the 2-fer is my fave; it’s a terrific composition.
Great post!
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Isn’t that the way it tends to happen? … there is a last minute discovery that turns out to be the icing on the cake. That was Gravensteen!
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Love, love, love this castle tour and the wild doors…truth be told, my quest is not to go on a castle tour but to own/live in one…I’m working on it. 🙂
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You and me both. Except I’m really hoping by then it’s got the indoor plumbing and central heat/air thing covered 😏
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Amazing. Love the green one. Castles are so cool.
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Castles are the best! 🙂
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Joanne, this is a perfect collection of doors. It looks like a dark, cool relief from this hot time of year. Besides they are beautiful and castles always set the imagination soaring! Hugs on the wing.
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Castles do have that quality. The walls seem to whisper.
I’m trying to channel some of that coolness right now. It’s HOT here and I’ve been out cycling all day. I feel like a crispy critter.
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Nothing like a great tour with a side of sex. We Americans are prudes. I had a German neighbor at another house. She had a pool in her yard. When she had German visitors she had a hard time getting them to keep their clothes on. She said nude swimming was typical where she came from. Yikes. There are bodies I just don’t want to see.
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hehehe … I’ve done my fair share of nude swimming but the Germans are in a class of their own 🙂
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I’m of German descent you know! hehehe
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BWAHAHAHAHA!!! Of course you are! 🤣
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I think you get the award for interesting doors, and doors within doors, Joanne. These are amazing. Thanks so much for taking great pictures to share.
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Cameras love a good castle, and your camera is no exception. I like the concept of a door within a door. This way, if you need to move a large piece of furniture in, such as a torture rack, you can open the bigger door to allow passage.
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bwahahahaha! I wish I had a good comeback for that one but how do I compete with the torture rack delivery guy 🤣
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I love castles! Want to go to Ireland someday and tour the castles there! Great shots that you took and LOL at the door above the door!
Glad that you had a tour that delighted your eyes and gave you history with laughter! 🙂
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Ireland! Yes! Hope I eventually make it there someday.
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On your bucket list too, eh! 😊
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The very very long list!
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HAHA!
Same as mine I see!
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I love visiting castles as well. Or grand houses. I think the one that impressed me the most was Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg.
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I don’t know if I’ll ever make it to St Petersburg but everyone I’ve talked to says it’s amazing!
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I agree those doors are incredible, glad you took those pics and are sharing them.
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It was a door lover’s paradise 🙂
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I’ve never thought of myself as a door lover, but maybe I am. When I look at a door open or closed I automatically think, what opportunity is behind that door or if I walk thru that door. That might make me a door lover.
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I think it does! The more you start to notice doors, the more obsessed with them you will become 🙂
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I think I am starting to realize that, lol!
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Cool doors. I love castles. The doors are amazing. As for the salacious stories, interesting to find out the rest of the story about what went on behind the doors.
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Sadly, I wouldn’t be able to do it justice. It was a combination of brilliant writing and excellent execution in delivering the story.
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Superb doors this week, Joanne. I’m glad the castle got a stay of execution, so to speak. I do enjoy a good castle…so long as I’m not paying the bills!!!
janet
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Exactly – not to mention being the person responsible for keeping it clean. Maybe it’s not so bad now with all the paving stones but just imagine the centuries of mud 😳
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Gorgeous photos and doors! I do love me a good castle. I echo Klausbernd’s sentiments about Europeans vs North Americans. We are pretty uptight about sex (in public, anyways) by comparison. I remember with great humour a visit to my workplace by a Dutch veterinarian who was speaking quite bluntly (Of course! He’s Dutch!) about animal AND human reproduction and the shocked looks on peoples’ faces. It was hard not to giggle. I enjoyed myself immensely that day…
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I would have been there giggling right beside you. It seems that we North Americans are the offspring of the Victorian era and have never outgrown it 😏
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Dear Joanne,
I really like how you photographed this castle. I know it quite well.
And to the stories: Sex during the high middle ages was quite different as we see it today. If you read the low minnes poems f.e. Walther von der Vogelweide or the epic texts f.e. Hartman von Aue you would probably be shocked. I love in Hartman von Aue’s “Der arme Heinrich” how he describes that the lovers have their time “in bette verliggen”. But you have to see as well that most Europeans are not as prudish as the Americans. For me it was the other way round. When I taught at USAmerican universities I was amazed how prudish even the students were.
I experienced that cultural differences show most clearly in your attitude to sex.
I really like what you write in your first paragraphs. Indeed, only the obscenely rich could afford to build and live in a castle – actually in all times.
Thanks a lot for your post
Klausbernd
Greetings from the rest of The Fab Four of Cley
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You hit the nail on the head. My husband and I are always amused at the differences in attitudes about sex between North Americans and Europeans. It was without exaggeration when I said that your typical North American parent would have been appalled to have their child listen to this story. Meanwhile, I thought it was brilliantly done. Definitely not your standard self-guided tour!!
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But, dear Joanne, it’s strange in the UK as well in comparison to the rest of central and northern Europe. We Fab Four spend all our teenage years in Scandinavia which is quite liberal in this respect.
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… and we’re an off-shoot of the UK so that explains our sensibilities.
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I think you win ‘doors with a attitude’ this week. Massive and amazing. 🙂
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I think I might have let a squeal of delight escape my lips when I spied the first door as we entered … and they just kept coming!
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