Castle of Duras

The Castle of Duras, located in Sint-Truiden, is a beautiful example of neoclassical architecture and has a rich history dating back to the 12th century. Originally, there was a water castle of the counts of Duras, first mentioned in 1102. Between 1787 and 1789, the current castle was built by Baron Jean Joseph Van der Noot and his wife Florence de Ruyssche, according to a design by architect Ghislain-Joseph Henry.

The castle has historical ties to the Dutch royal house. Henriette d'Oultremont, the sister of Charles d'Outremont who was married to Louise van der Noot, married King William I of the Netherlands in 1843. To be able to marry this Catholic Belgian, William I abdicated the throne. Part of their correspondence is preserved in the castle archives, while the rest can be found in a Dutch museum.

The Castle of Duras also served as a setting for the crime novel 'The Girl in the Ice Cellar' by Herman Grouwels. In this book, a skeleton is found in the castle's old ice cellar, leading to an intriguing investigation that takes the reader back to the early 20th century.

Surrounded by an extensive estate of over 300 hectares, consisting of forests, meadows, fields, and a walled vegetable garden with vineyard, the castle offers a beautiful landscape that is typical of Haspengouw.

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