Adults cost €10. Tickets are available. Built in 1180 by Philip of Alsace, Earl of Flanders, modeled after the Crusader Castle, as Philip of Alsace joined the Second Crusade. Previously, this was a wooden castle built in the 9th century. The castle was the residence of the Earl of Flanders until it was abandoned in the 14th century. The castle was converted into a courthouse and a prison, and gradually abandoned. The castle was built in houses, and the stones of the city walls were used to build other buildings. In 1885, the city government bought the castle and began restoration work. The walls and dungeons were restored to their original state. The Earl's castle attracted a large number of tourists. Tourists can climb to the top of the restored castle. It is still partially surrounded by the moat. Inside the castle is a museum that displays various torture instruments (including a guillotine) used in Ghent's history.