Ter Dolen

The current castle Ter Dolen (De Dool) in Helchteren dates back to the 16th Century, but the estate’s history draws back much farther. In the Middle Ages, it served as summer residence, and later as refuge, for the abbots of the Abbey of Sint-Truiden. Its first recorded mention dates back to 1282. Throughout the centuries, the castle had a turbulent history. Until the middle of the 15th Century, the castle regularly was needed as a refuge, was a cause of conflict, and was repeatedly sacked and burned. After the French Revolution, it was sold into private ownership, and at some point, housed a school. During the World Wars, German soldiers were billeted in there. By 1977, the castle was uninhabited and started to decay. In 1993, Mieke Desplenter purchased the castle and its estate, and started a renovation project. A year later, the Ter Dolen brewery opened its doors with great acclaim.
In 1994, a hypermodern brewery was installed in the coach house of the medieval castle. The brewery comprises six stainless steel cilinder-conical yeast and lager tanks. The brew kettle has a capacity of 25 hectolitres per brew. Since 2013, the brewery disposes of its own bottling plant and a new warehouse with hothouse, so that the entire process from brew to bottle can now take place in-house.