Turnhout

Turnhout appeared around the 12th century next to the castle of the Brabant Dukes. Between 1209 and 1213, the Brabant Duke Hendrick I gave the settlement city rights.

In Turnhout there is a railway station, which is the terminal station of the Herentals - Turnhout line .

The most important sights of the city are the Castle of the Dukes of Brabant, the courtyard of the runners and the church of St. Peter and the Sacred Heart. In addition to them, the city has several other churches and civil buildings that have the status of a historical monument.

The monuments of industrial architecture are the building of the railway station and the water tower.

Castle

The castle of the Dukes of Brabant ( Dutch: Kasteel van de hertogen van Brabant ), to which the city owes its appearance, has survived to this day. The castle was founded in 1110 , but over the centuries it was rebuilt several times and lost its original appearance. The current appearance of the castle dates back to about the 16th century. By the beginning of the XX century, the castle fell into decay. In 1908, the castle was bought by the city authorities and restored. Since then, the court has been located in the castle.

Beginage

Located in Turnhout, Beginage is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The Yard of Begins was founded in the 13th century. The surviving building of the courtyard dates back to the 16th – 17th centuries. The Begins Courtyard Church was built in 1665 in the Baroque style .

Beginage has its own museum. The museum has exhibits dedicated to the religious life of the runners and their everyday life.

Churches

• Church of St. Peter Sint-Pieterskerk is the oldest church in the city. Located in the central square of the Big Market. The first wooden church on this site was built in the VIII century. The oldest parts of the current church, choirs and tower, date back to the end of the 15th century. In the XVIII century, baroque side naves were added to the church. The church has a carillon of 53 bells.
• Church of the Sacred Heart of the Netherlands. kerk van het Heilig Hart . Neo-Gothic church, built at the beginning of the XX century

• Begins Courtyard Museum (see above)
• Museum "Taxandria" (museum of regional studies)
• Museum of Ornithology
• Museum of playing cards

•   Gödöllö , Hungary
•   Hammelburg , Germany
•   Hanzhong , China

• Official site (information about attractions)
• Uit in eigen land. Brussel, Reader's digest, 1983. ISBN 9-070818-000 pp 42