Castle of Etzenrade

The Etzenraderhuusken, a national monument, is located in the stream valley of Rode Beek in the hamlet of Etzenrade in the South Limburg village of Jabeek (Municipality of Beekdaelen). It is a beautifully restored farm with a special story. Behind the Etzenraderhuusken old canals are visible in the landscape. These are the canals of the 'Destroyed Etzenrade Castle'. The castle stood in a swampy area and was surrounded by moats fed by the numerous springs in the area and by the Rode Beek.

In the 13th century, Etzenrade Castle was already mentioned as a fief of Valkenburg. In 1299 a chapel was founded by Dirk van Einighausen, which indicates that the castle already had some significance.

Little is known about the building history of the castle. The last part of the castle ruins was cleaned up around 1880 without further investigation.

In 1840, the castle ruins lay to the north of the U-shaped farmstead within a rectangular moat. On the north side of the moated main castle was a much larger moated island, which must have been used as a garden. At the beginning of the 19th century, the construction farm was no longer moated. On the north and west sides was a double moat with a canal or rampart in between.