Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts)

The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. The name means "castle of the counts" in Dutch. The present castle was built in 1180 by count Philip of Alsace and was modeled after the crusaders castles that Philip of Alsace encountered while he participated in the second crusade. The castle served as the seat of the Counts of Flanders until they abandoned it in the 14th century. The castle was then used as a courthouse, a prison and eventually decayed. In 1885 the city of Ghent bought the castle and started a renovation project. The newly built houses were removed and the walls and dungeon were restored to their original condition. The castle has been repaired enough to allow people to travel through it and climb on top. It is still partly surrounded by the moat. Inside is a museum with various torture devices (and a guillotine) that were historically used in Ghent.

Hours of operation: Monday through Sunday 10.00 (10:00 am) to 18.00 (6:00 pm). Closed January 1, 2, and December 25, 26, 31.

Admission: You must pay admission to access the token machine. If you ask nicely in the ticket office, they may let you go to the gift shop for free. Adults €13, Seniors 65+ years old and groups of 15 or more €11, Youth (13 to 18 years old) €2.70, Free under 13 years old, for companions of disabled persons and holders of a Ghent City Card.
There is no parking on-site.

Token Machine 1 is inside the gift shop. Cost to dispense: €3 each design (Machine accepts €2 coin, €1 coins, €.50 coins, €.20 coins or €.10 coins. Machine does not give change). Machine also accepts credit cards. Designs:
1) Silver colored token:
1. Obverse: The Gravensteen Castle with 'Gravensteen - Gent' / Reverse: The letter B in the outline of Belgium surrounded by 10 stars with 'National Tokens® 2025 Belgian Heritage'.
2) Gold colored token is a replica of the 'Gouden Rijder' coin:
2. Obverse: Lodewijk Van Male in tournament armor on his horse with the Latin inscription ‘LVDOVICVS DEI GRA(tia) COMES E(t) D(omi)N(u)S FLA(n)DRIE'(Lodewijk, Duke and Lord of Flanders by the grace of God) / Reverse: A decorated flower cross with the Latin inscription ‘XRC VINCIT XRC REGNAT XRC IMPERAT’ (Christ overcomes, Christ is King, Christ rules).

G.P.S. coordinates: Latitude: 51° 3' 25.275" N Longitude: 3° 43' 14.793" E
Google Maps coordinates: 3P4C+V7 Ghent, Belgium

August 1, 2025. The tokens are of great quality. MWHTH