Top 7 Castles around Menen

The Castle of the Counts is the only example of monumental civil architecture from before the 19th century in Mouscron. Four great families of Seigneurs succeeded one another here over six centuries. Today, on this vast estate, you can still admire the Tournai-style castle, as well as a farmyard surrounded by the remains of outbuildings from the 16th and 17th centuries, and a site surrounded by moats. A self-guided walk around the moats offers you the opportunity to explore the entire estate. Two major historical events have left a lasting mark on local tradition and folklore: the visit of Charles V, who spent the night in the castle, and the atrocities of the famous Hurlus, followers of Luther (during the Wars of Religion) who pillaged the region, occupied the castle for three months, and stole its furnishings. Source: visitwapi.be

In the 17th century, there was no park in Heule. There were meadows here. Later, in 1722, a farm was built here. A little later, the then mayor of Lagae built a castle. The garden as we know it today was created around 1900 by a Parisian landscape architect. The garden has been open to the public since 1965. Source: kortrijk.be

Marcel Marlier Centre "Draw Me, Mart" https://www.mouscron.be/fr/centre-marcel-marlier/accueil

The Polderhoek is currently a forgotten piece of land near the A19 motorway, next to the Witches Monument. It is almost unthinkable, but during the war there was a beautiful park in the Polderhoek valley. The southern Polderhoek Castle stood in the middle of the park. The Polderhoek Castle, popularly known as the “Flower Castle”, was one of the most beautiful castles in the region. The castle was built around 1850, was over 30 hectares in size and had Italian architectural influences. From the beginning of the First World War, the beautiful park was occupied by the Germans. In 1914, the front ran right through it and the park was then on German territory. On 4 October 1917, British troops succeeded in taking the northeastern part of the park. However, they did not get any further and the offensive was stopped on the ridge. The entire area was shot to pieces and the Reutelbeek, which flowed through the park, formed a wide swamp. Triggered? Want to know more about the war past? Click through to https://www.toerismezonnebeke.be/nl/zien-en-doen/polderhoek-chateau-verdwenen-kasteel/

In the park behind the Vanackere castle (the current town hall) there are two gloriettes. These gazebos, probably built before the construction of the castle in 1896, initially bordered the park. A wall ran between the two, which was demolished when the park was expanded. The pavilion to the east of the town hall has a double landing staircase and a built-in ice cellar. No original interior elements were preserved in the pavilions. Source: Inventory of Immovable Heritage

Between 1894 and 1896, Jules Aimée Constant Van Ackere had his mansion replaced by a castle in an eclectic architectural style. The Kortrijk architect Cyriel Vanhoutte was inspired by various neo-styles for this building. The castle and park were closed off from the public road by a cast-iron fence with two gates. With the reconstruction of the Kortrijk-Menen road in 1960, the fence in front of the castle disappeared. During the First and Second World Wars, the house was requisitioned by the German occupiers to function as an "Ortskommandantur". Purchased in its entirety by the municipality in 1953. To this day, it serves as a town hall. Source: Inventory of Immovable Heritage

The Castle of the Counts replaces an earlier castle, built on the "Mont-à-Leux" hill, owned by Rogier de Ramées around 1300, which was destroyed by a Breton duke named John III between 1315 and 1340 during the General Wars. The lords of Mouscron, elevated to a county in 1627, barely inhabit it anymore, except for the latter, de la Barre (1332-1592), who fortified it, and de Liedekerke (1592-1645), who renovated it to the condition recorded by Sanderus in 1641. for the Basta’s (1645-1682) and the d’Ennetières (1682-1795-1875) it never meant more than a foothold on land until the end of the “ancien régime”, by furnishing part of the interior in Louis XV style and by providing crossbeams at the windows of the Louis XVI houses.

The castle of Beselare, where the Van der Woestine family lived for 400 years, was located between the Keiberg and the Kortrijkdreve. The decline began in the second half of the 18th century. Seized by a display of exaggerated splendor and wastefulness, Marquis François III Maximiliaan Antoon Van der Woestine began to sell homesteads, estates and forests around 1770. The wealthy bailiwick family Duval from Beselare was usually the buyer. The horrors of the French revolution did the rest. The hunt for the nobles was on and the marquis fell into the hands of the French and was beheaded on May 12, 1794 on the scaffold at Cambrai, together with other nobles. His son and successor Charles Ghislain Van der Woestine became the last lord and margrave of Beselare. The French Revolution had abolished feudalism. The Marquis, also called the old Marquis or the Kwa Marquis, left the castle on September 7, 1796 and fled abroad. Many of the goods were publicly sold in 1802 and 1803 by the office of notaries Jan Baptiste Meersseman van Beselare and J. Vandermeersch van Ypres. A few years later, the plundered castle was also sold and shortly afterwards (around 1813) demolished. There are still two copper engravings of the former glorious castle, one by J. Milheuser from 1641 and one by an unknown artist. They are located in the convent of the Sisters of Mary in Izegem.