Toerisme Turnhout

Turnhout arose at the crossroads of two major trade routes and in the shadow of the hunting castle of the Dukes of Brabant. That castle would have existed before 1110. The hunting past is still reflected in the urban coat of arms with fleeing deer. In 1212 the small community received city rights from Duke Hendrik I of Brabant. At the end of the 13th century the beguinage was founded in Turnhout. In the 16th century, Turnhout had become a rich commercial center, but at the end of the century that function declined again due to war and epidemics. This city is also known as the'playing card city\\\'. In 1826 Pieter Jozef Brepols put Turnhout on the world map by having the first playing cards printed there. The industry soon took off and Turnhout became one of the most important producers of playing cards in the world.