Stapelen Castle - Boxtel

This fairytale castle from 1300 is a real eye-catcher! It is part of a city estate that is located at the spot where the river Dommel flows into the centre of Boxtel. The surrounding moat was covered by a wooden drawbridge until 1965, when it was replaced by a fixed bridge.

The castle was given to Willem van Boxtel as a reward for his brave performance in the Battle of Woeringen. Throughout the centuries, it has been in the hands of the noble families Van Boxtel, Van Ranst and Van Horne. In the chapel, you can still see an altarpiece from 1600 with the arms of the Van Horne family. This chapel has been a place of pilgrimage for a long time because of the blood miracle that supposedly took place in 1380. The legend goes that a priest from Esch spilled wine from the chalice on the cloth that lay in front of the Epiphany altar of the St. Petrus Church in Boxtel. The stains eventually turned out to be bloodstains. At the Boxtelse Watermolen, he tried to scrub away the stains, but to no avail.

Since 2012, a labyrinth has been designed near the castle. In the surrounding park, you can take a lovely walk and enjoy this beautiful, romantic spot.