Château Wittem

Wittem Castle, locally known as Kasteel Wittem, is located in the village of the same name in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands.

First mentioned in the early 12th century as Witham and Witheim, it was situated in the marshy valley of the Geul stream. At that time it probably consisted of a simple tower house.

In the thirteenth century the castle came into the ownership of the Knights of Julémont, who began to call themselves Lords of Wittem, a title that was also assumed by later owners. . At the beginning of the 15th century, the castle was considerably enlarged until it became a powerful stronghold with 7 towers and two moats crossed by bridges. Each bridge had a building with a door.

The next owners of the castle were the knights of the Van Scavendriesch family and the Van Cosselaer family.

In 1466 the castle was sold to Diederik van Pallant. In 1520, Emperor Charles V elevated Wittem to a barony, probably as a reward for his stay at the castle during his trip to Aix-la-Chapelle for his coronation.

At the beginning of the 80 Years War, the castle of Wittem was confiscated by the Spanish under the Duke of Alva. His troops were driven out in 1568, by the mercenary troops of William the Silent, Prince of Orange. Then William left for Maastricht to free that city from the Spanish as well. When he was unsuccessful, he returned to the castle of Wittem only to find it again taken by Spanish troops. Once again he drove them out. In 1569 the Spanish returned again and destroyed the castle.

The castle was restored and enlarged in 1611, with compensation money for war damage, by the Van Pallant family. In 1639 the ownership of the castle passed to the counts of Waldeck Pyrmont. In 1678 they had to repair the damage done to the castle again, this time by French troops garrisoned in Maastricht.

In 1714 Count Ferdinand von Plettenberg became the last noble owner of the castle. When he arrived at the castle it was already in a dilapidated state. In 1794, after the French Revolution, the ruined castle was taken by the count and sold to Simon Merckenbach. His family restored the castle to its present state and made it habitable again.

The present building forms only a small part of the medieval castle. It consists of a round corner tower with two wings. In the farm buildings that belong to the castle there are also parts of medieval walls remaining.

In 1958 the castle was sold and since then it has been used as a hotel-restaurant.

Now with soundproofed and air-conditioned rooms, Château Wittem is ready for a new era. The atmosphere of the decor in the 12 rooms is 'French chic'. Each room has a name and a story related to important figures in the castle's long history, which dates back to 1125. The Julemont restaurant is named after the knight Winand van Julemont, who moved into the castle around 1200.

Chef Guido Braeken serves French classics and regional dishes. Wittem is near the Belgian border, almost exactly between Maastricht in the Netherlands and Aachen in Germany.