Medieval Arcen

Arcen is the northernmost village of the municipality of Venlo, on the easternmost bend of the Maas about 12 km north of Venlo and a couple of kilometres from the German border. It belonged in the early Middle Ages to the territory of Straelen, was granted to the Abbey of Siegburg in 1064, and became a separate lordship under the Duchy of Guelders in 1330. By the 14th century the village had a rampart with three gates, and although it never received city rights it gained market rights in 1503. The Schanstoren, a ruined tower by the river, is the visible remnant of those defences.

The medieval castle of Arcen did not survive the wars of the 17th century; the present Kasteel Arcen is a moated house of the 1650s standing where its predecessor stood. Around it the Kasteeltuinen Arcen, opened in 1988, spread across some 32 hectares of themed gardens, ponds and glasshouses, and are the venue for Elfia’s autumn edition every September. Arcen is also home to the Hertog Jan brewery on the Maas.

The village has no railway station; the nearest is Venlo, with buses along the Maas, and there is a small ferry across the river in season. Kasteeltuinen Arcen lies at Lingsforterweg 26, a short walk south of the village centre.