Castles and Abbey Route from Torhout

Today's starting point is Torhout. Until the beginning of the last century, the Bruges Ommeland was very inhospitable. Dark forests veined with swamps, wandering bands of robbers, feudal lords who kept small farmers under their thumb... Torhout, at a junction of Roman highways, was a real relief for merchants passing through. A safe, bustling and hospitable town. That evil atmosphere has disappeared from the Bruges Ommeland, but Torhout has not lost any of its hospitality. Enjoy a pleasant chat on a terrace in the center of Torhout, sip a blond-foaming Thouroutenaere and dip a block of creamy Wynendale cheese in the infernal mustard of Wostyn: Torhout's hospitality caresses the palate! Anyone who says Torhout also says Wijnendale. A visit to Wijnendale Castle, a jewel in Flanders' heritage crown, is a must. The Torhouts Aardewerk Museum and the Mustard Museum are also worth exploring. Explore the Bruges Ommeland from Torhout! The castles in this region are really something to write home about. Wijnendale Castle is particularly valuable because of its major contribution to the 1000-year history of the county of Flanders. Be sure to visit this historic castle estate with its impressive water castle. The visitor center is located in the gatehouse, after which a stately castle avenue leads you to the rampart, drawbridge and entrance gate of the castle. A detour via the grape greenhouse and the pond is also possible. Wijnendale Castle is privately owned, but the castle museum is located in the left wing. A lot of attention is paid to how people lived, worked and had fun in the castle. As an individual visitor, you will be provided with a pocket computer or visitor guide so that you do not miss anything about the special history of the building. Another beautiful castle you will pass is Domain d\\\'Aertrycke with its neo-Gothic castle, a relaxing, romantic garden with a park pond. In 2012, the de Maere family sold this domain to the province of West Flanders, and you can now stroll quietly on the guided walking paths. Worth the effort! You will also pass a beautiful abbey: Benedictine Abbey Ten Putte, a busy pilgrimage site, especially in July. In addition to the church and the devotional chapel, you can visit the famous"putje\\\", the crow chapel (on the motte) and the prison. The remarkable"shirt without seam\\\" is also on display. The picturesque Ten Putte Abbey is located on the spot where Godelieve lived and was murdered in the 11th century. Ten Putte has become a true place of pilgrimage where thousands flock every year to invoke Godelieve against throat and eye diseases or to maintain domestic peace. The walled courtyard with the white abbey buildings and the lush garden form an oasis of silence and tranquility on the border between the Houtland and De Polders. According to legend, the Benedictine abbey was founded by Edith, a daughter born blind from the second marriage of Bertolf van Gistel, who was cured of her blindness by washing her eyes with water from the well into which the corpse of the strangled Godelieve had been thrown - the Bertolf's first wife, whom he had murdered because his mother hated her. The oldest historical information about the abbey dates from the 12th century. The relatively peaceful history was disturbed in the 16th century by religious wars: in 1578 the abbey was attacked and destroyed by the Bosgeuzen, causing the sisters to flee. The abandoned buildings in Gistel fell into ruins, with the exception of the church that was restored in 1614-1615. 313 years later, on July 2, 1891, 12 sisters returned to Gistel. They moved into new monastery buildings, designed according to the plans of architect Baron Jean-Baptist de Bethune (*), the great supporter of the neo-Gothic style in this region. Just the hull of the small tower from the end of the 14? century was preserved. The sisters have now left, but the abbey can still be visited: there is a cafeteria with a terrace. Back in Torhout you can visit the last castle. In the city center, a stone's throw from the Market, is the lovely Ravenhof castle park. It is a clear example of the English landscape garden and contains rare exotic trees and shrubs. Ravenhof Castle is surrounded by a rampart and to the side of the park there is a sheep pasture with a standard orchard. Park Ravenhof is a lovely place to take a walk!