Geeraard de Duivelsteen

The Geeraard de Duivelsteen is a stone fortress with a sharp, gabled silhouette that rises abruptly above the surrounding houses near the Scheldt River. Its name translates to the Castle of Gerard the Devil, a nickname for a fourteenth century knight who supposedly had a dark, violent reputation. While local legends paint him as a sinister figure, the building served as a defensive residence for the Ghent nobility. It survived fire, prison conversions, and even a stint as a nineteenth century lunatic asylum.