The origins Batenburg Castle dats back to the 12th century. The castle was greatly expanded in the early 1300s by a member of the Van Bronckhorst-Batenburg family. The castle was besieged three times over the next 300 years. The castle began to decay in the early 18th century, and suffered heavy fire damage during the French invasion. In 1820, Count Van Bentheim-Steinfurt began to demolish the ruins. After World War Two the ruins were bought by the state, and are now under the care of the Friends of the Castles of Gelderland Foundation. Unfortunately, the ruins are not very accessible, and may only be viewed from a distance.
