The castle of Hamal
The castle of Hamal near the city of Tongeren dates back to the 12th century. The oldest part of the castle is a Romanesque 12th-century tower. The remaining parts of the original castle were destroyed during several wars. In 1346 the castle was destroyed by the militias of Tongeren, Dinant, and Huy in their fight against Prince-Bishop Engelbert III van der Mark of Liege. In 1364 the lord of Hamal stood on the side of Arnold Rummen in his fight against Prince Bishop Jan van Arkel. Again, the castle was destroyed, this time by Liege troops in 1676. Again the castle was partially destroyed by the French Republic forces during the battle of Lafelt in 1747. Later Louis XIV stayed in the castle for more than a month.
|Picture by Jack Destexhe|
The present castle was built in the 18th century in baroque and rococo style under Baron Haxhe. A moat and a bridge were added. Also, a beautiful English park now surrounds the estate. The castle is not open to the public, but the park is.