After ceasing to be the residence of the counts of Flanders, the castle entered a decline.
It was used as a court and prison until the 18th century.
From 1353 to 1491, it was the site of Ghent's mint and private buildings were later constructed on or around the Medieval remains.
During the Industrial Revolution, the Gravensteen was converted into a cotton mill by an industrialist who purchased the site.
It was even scheduled for demolition.

Parts of the castle were bought up gradually by the City of Ghent which began a major restoration in a romanticising Gothic style between 1893 and 1907 under the architect Joseph de Waele.
De Waele was inspired the approach of the French architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and attempted to restore the castle to its imagined appearance in the 12th century.
Many details added during this period, such as the flat roofs and the windows of the eastern outbuilding, are not thought to be historically accurate.

The Gravensteen was the centrepiece of the Ghent World Fair of 1913 during which the city centre was significantly reshaped.
It remains open to the public.
After ceasing to be the residence of the counts of Flanders, the castle entered a decline. It was used as a court and prison until the 18th century. From 1353 to 1491, it was the site of Ghent's mint and private buildings were later constructed on or around the Medieval remains. During the Industrial Revolution, the Gravensteen was converted into a cotton mill by an industrialist who purchased the site. It was even scheduled for demolition. 
Parts of the castle were bought up gradually by the City of Ghent which began a major restoration in a romanticising Gothic style between 1893 and 1907 under the architect Joseph de Waele. De Waele was inspired the approach of the French architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and attempted to restore the castle to its imagined appearance in the 12th century. Many details added during this period, such as the flat roofs and the windows of the eastern outbuilding, are not thought to be historically accurate.
The Gravensteen was the centrepiece of the Ghent World Fair of 1913 during which the city centre was significantly reshaped. It remains open to the public.
Gravensteen