Cortenbach Castle
From the first castle only remain two round towers on the courtyard of the present castle, which is situated in the village of Voerendaal, in the province of Limburg. Probably these were the towers of the outer buildings, and stood the castle itself on place of the present house. This house was built in 1713. The monumental outer buildings were built between 1638 and 1645. In 1864 a fire destroyed a great part of it.
This is the front of the present house.
Our story dates from the first castle. In the twelfth century knight Herman of Cortenbach left for having part in a crusade in the Holy Land. He left his fiancée Aldegonde of Damnester behind. Eventually he returned after many years of absent. When he arrived at his castle he met his fiancée outside; at least he thought that it was she. He probably didn't notice that she hasn't grown any older. It seemed that she didn't recognize him and even tried to flee from him. He felt offended and in his anger he killed her and threw her body into the moat. At the castle he met his brother Leutpold, who told him that they got the message that he was killed in the Holy Land, and that he felt obliged to marry his fiancée. They even had a daughter who very looked alike her mother.
Herman didn't say a word, but then the mother entered with the dead girl in her arms. She cursed Herman.
Now, in stormy November nights, when the wind blows over dark Voerendaal, the ghost of the murdered girl rises out of the moat and wanders around the house. Then she haunts the churchyard where her mother lies buried, but she can't find any comfort there. Sighing and mourning she returns to the castle and sinks back into the moat again.
The rear of the house with the gloomy moat.