En un regard
Le château en bref
The Gevangenenpoort, or Prisoners' Gate, is a late Gothic building located in Lier (Lier), at the junction of the Eikelstraat and the Zimmerplein, on the edge of the beguinage. Originally known as the Binnenste Eeckelpoort or Eikelpoort, it dates from 1375 and is the only surviving gate of the city's first set of walls, which had five. Classical alterations were made around 1728, and it housed a prison from the 16th century until 1930, which gave it its present name. The side facing the Begijnhofstraat retains a pointed arch, and niches there hold statues of Saint Roch and Saint Margaret. Protected as a monument, the gate is also protected, together with the neighbouring houses on the Begijnhofstraat, as part of an urban site. Renovation work in 2008 was accompanied by archaeological monitoring; part of the building is today used by a neighbouring hotel.