Burcht Van Kolmont

Tongeren-Borgloon, Belgium

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Burcht van Kolmont was a medieval fortress located near Overrepen in the Belgian municipality of Tongeren, Limburg province. Believed to have been built in the late 12th century by Gerard, Count of Loon, it was strategically positioned on an artificially raised hill, surrounded by water-filled moats fed by the Herk River, to defend the borders with Brabant and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège.

The castle complex included a southern residential building, a ten-sided donjon with thick walls and an elevated entrance, several adjoining structures like an oval tower and a three-story square residential tower, all likely roofed with slate. Burcht van Kolmont played a key role in regional conflicts including battles between local rulers and church authorities in the 12th and 13th centuries.

After the annexation of the County of Loon by the Prince-Bishopric of Liège in 1366, the castle lost its military importance and was eventually dismantled in the early 16th century, with its stones repurposed for city defenses. Today, only ruins remain, covered by trees and vegetation, marking an important part of Belgian medieval heritage.