Kasteel de Burbure

Kasteel de Burbure is a historic castle in Wezembeek, part of the municipality of Wezembeek-Oppem in Flemish Brabant, standing on Sint-Pietersplein. Its elegant classicist appearance today hides a much longer story that stretches back to a fortified settlement centuries before the current building took shape.

How far back does the site's history go?

The earliest traces of a defensive structure on this spot date to the 12th century, when a fortified stronghold guarded the area. Over time the function of the site shifted: by the 16th century it had become a "pleasure house" (buitenhuis), likely built in the second half of that century by Jeroom Boote, then lord of Wezembeek. This was a representative residence rather than a military installation, marking a clear break from the original fortress.

Who were the de Burbure family?

A turning point in the estate's history came in 1695, when knight Gaspard de Burbure — a gunpowder manufacturer and commissioner-general of powder and saltpeter for the King of Spain — acquired the Wezembeek estate. From that point on, Wezembeek became the seat of the de Burbure family for generations, and the family name became permanently attached to the castle, giving it the name it still carries today.

What changed in the 18th and 19th centuries?

Between 1780 and 1782, Guilielmus Franciscus Emmanuel de Burbure carried out a thorough renovation of the castle in classicist style. The works included demolishing the south façade with its access gate and filling in the moats that had once surrounded the building — the water castle gradually lost its defensive character in favor of an open, representative residence facing the park. In the early 19th century, the castle park was redesigned as a "jardin à l'anglaise," an English landscape style fashionable among European aristocracy at the time.

What role did Oscar de Burbure play?

In 1869, the estate returned to the hands of the de Burbure family. Oscar de Burbure, who later became mayor of Wezembeek-Oppem, took up residence at the castle. He modernized the property and converted the estate's former water mill into a dairy, adapting the estate's infrastructure to the needs of his era.

Why does the building look the way it does today?

The castle's history was not free of dramatic events — a fire seriously damaged part of the buildings in the 19th century. The reconstruction was carried out in 1902 in neo-traditional style, designed by Brussels architect Fernand Symons. This post-fire rebuilding largely shaped the appearance the castle still has today.

What does the castle's architecture look like?

Kasteel de Burbure is built in the shape of the letter H, using brick and sandstone as the main building materials. The estate also retains a separate carriage house and stable, partly dating from the 17th century — a remnant of the property's earlier working, agricultural side.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside the castle? Available sources do not specify current rules for visiting the interior — the castle remains primarily a listed heritage building recorded in the region's built heritage inventory.

Where does the castle's name come from? The name comes from the de Burbure family, who took over the estate in 1695 and remained connected to it for generations, up through the time of Oscar de Burbure.

What else is worth seeing around the castle? The castle park, redesigned in English landscape style in the 19th century, along with the 17th-century carriage house and stable, complement the main castle building itself.