A legacy etched in stone. That’s Kasteel van Winssinger. Right here before you stands a testament to history.
Kasteel van Winssinger isn’t just a castle. It’s a story spanning centuries. Originally a modest estate visible on the Ferraris map around 1770-1778 it belonged to Philippe Flété de Flettenfeld. A fire in 1789 destroyed the original building. It was rebuilt in the late 18th century.
But the Kasteel van Winssinger we see today is largely a product of the late 19th century. Around 1883 Leopold Winssinger completely transformed it. He gave the castle its eclectic style. Notice the two octagonal towers flanking the entrance. Those were added then. The ‘W’ above the balcony? Leopold’s mark. A subtle detail easily overlooked.
The original entrance faced south. Winssinger changed that. He oriented the Kasteel van Winssinger north towards the Ninoofsesteenweg. He also added a dovecote and extensive walled gardens. These gardens with their greenhouses no longer exist. They were recorded in 1883. Today you’ll find a reflective pond and parterre gardens. These were created during renovations in the 1980s.
Look closely at the facade of Kasteel van Winssinger. Five bays two floors and a basement. See the false banding on the ground floor and the decorative ‘hanekammen’ above the windows? These architectural details are characteristic of the era. The stone itself speaks volumes.
The adjacent buildings are equally fascinating. Steenpoel numbers 18-20 housed the original farm. It was later converted into a coach house and is now divided into two residences. Find the stone near the door. It bears the inscription “E P FL-ne de FL feld- THERMr- AN XI.” This inscription is a hidden clue to its past.
After Leopold Winssinger’s death in 1906 the estate was divided. This marked the end of the Kasteel van Winssinger as a unified whole.
Yet the Kasteel van Winssinger endures. A resilient structure that has withstood fires renovations and the passage of time. Each stone each detail whispers a story of resilience and transformation. A story that continues to unfold before your very eyes. Today you stand before Kasteel van Winssinger a place where history lives and breathes.