Constructed in: 1000
Typology: castle
Tags:
The "Burcht van Leiden" is an 11th-century shell keep located at the confluence of the Oude and Nieuwe Rijn rivers in #Leiden (Zuid-Holland), the Netherlands. Constructed atop a 9-meter-high artificial hill (motte), it initially served as a wooden fortification, later rebuilt with tuff stone and brick. The castle provided refuge for local inhabitants during times of peril. As Leiden expanded in the 13th and 14th centuries, the Burcht lost its military significance. In 1651, the city acquired the fortress, transforming it into a public park.
