Top 6 Castles around Berthen

A beautiful, spacious park with grassy areas and clumps of woods. Plenty of space for a relaxing break.

Formerly called 'Chalet Schabaillie' after the builder and former resident, brickmaker A. Schabaillie. Mansion with a tower that gives the whole a castle-like appearance. The property stands in the middle of a still partly wooded garden with an L-shaped coach and stable wing to the north of which the facade faces the street. A garden pavilion leans against the garden wall to the northeast. On the street side, there is a low garden wall with a gate between pedestals to the right of the paved driveway. The whole was later divided: the former coach and stable wing now serves as a warehouse, part of the garden on the street side was subdivided and includes low new construction. The eclectic architectural style is characterized, among other things, by the decorative use of yellow and yellow-painted bricks and refers to similar local 'castles' from the same period. Mansion on a rectangular floor plan. Double house of two bays + central tower and entrance risalit of one bay + a wide bay ending in a dormer window with a gable roof, and two storeys under a hipped roof with an iron ridge, decorated with lilies, small dormers, and high chimneys, among other things. A year stone 1900 is incorporated into the gable. Red brick construction with the use of yellow bricks for horizontal facade bands, corner stones, finishing panels, and relieving arches of the Tudor and round arched openings. A wooden loggia is located to the right on the main floor. Tower with three storeys under a truncated pyramidal roof with a lantern under a slate spire. The other facades have a similar facing. On the left side of the rear facade, there is a partly adjoining low extension (kitchen) under a hipped roof (ridge direction perpendicular to the main house, mechanical tiles), in a matching architectural style; conservatory against the garden facade. L-shaped coach and stable wing of one and a half storeys under a gable roof with mechanical tiles. The striking corner tower with a slate spire is crowned with iron decoration, referring to the ridge of the mansion. The inscription 'Anno 1914' is incorporated into the plastered casement of the dormer window. Analogous brick architecture; additional decorative motifs of yellow brick, including St. Andrew's crosses. The street facade is a variation on the traditional gable facade: the stepped gable with a Bruges bay, and the central arched coach gate above which is a round arched window crowned with a cross of yellow brick. The garden pavilion against the northeast garden wall is a variation on the medieval dovecote type. Octagonal low building under a slightly constricted spire (slate) with wooden dormers. Matching architectural style. Source: DELEPIERE A.-M. & HUYS M. 1989: Inventory of cultural heritage in Belgium, Architecture, Province of West Flanders, District of Ypres, Canton Poperinge, Building through the centuries in Flanders 11n2, Brussels - Turnhout. Authors: Delepiere, Anne Marie; Huys, Martine Date: 1989 Text made available by: Agency for Immovable Heritage (AOE) Additional information Number 20 forms the last part of the stable wing. The part facing the street has since been demolished, but the rear part with the tower is still preserved. Information obtained from the Intermunicipal Immovable Heritage Service CO7 (July 29, 2021). Authors: Jacobs, Els Date: 11-04-2022 Text made available by: Agency for Immovable Heritage (AOE)

a nice little walk...

This castle was the seat of the lordship of Flêtre. The Van Vleteren family ruled here, succeeded in 1364 by the Van Houtte family. Between 1364 and 1380, Jan van Houtte had a fortified castle built. It was equipped with a wooden gallery between the castle and the freestanding tower, from which the soldiers could hurl projectiles at the besiegers. Later, as military technology advanced, these were replaced by machicolations. In 1532, the lordship passed through marriage to the Wignacourt family. In 1656, Flêtre, under Jacob van Wignacourt, was elevated to a county. The last Count of Flêtre, Balthasar-Philippe de Wignacourt, died in poverty in 1810. During the French Revolution, the castle was expropriated and largely demolished to reuse the building materials. However, the keep was so massive that demolition was decided against. In the early 19th century, the estate was purchased by an industrialist, who built a house on the site of the demolished castle and converted the keep into a reception hall, with Louis XV-style wall paneling. Later, the estate was purchased by Edmond Vanuxem, a brewer in Ardres. He commissioned the construction of the current brick castle, completed in 1872. After the First World War, the moats were filled in. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasteel_van_Wignacourt

superb park to visit with the family

The castle was built in 1925 by order of Jacques Bruneel de la Warande, mayor of Kemmel. Previously there was a castle, which was destroyed in 1918 during the First World War. Architects were Henri Carbon and Charles Pil. After the castle served as a holiday home for a while, it was put into use as the town hall of Heuvelland in 1979. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasteel_De_Warande

From 1 June to 29 September 2024, the region will host the land art festival "ArtPenteurs". One of the works is "M for Marguerite", of course placed here in the park. (If you are standing with your back to the villa: about 50 metres further on, turn left)

Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987), the celebrated writer of, among others, "Het hermetisch zwart" (The Hermetic Black) and "Hadrianus' Herinnerschriften", refers to this place of her youth in many of her works. In interviews towards the end of her life, she repeatedly stated that it was her wish to protect this piece of nature. This was worked on from 1986 onwards. The villa in the 50-hectare park is now a writer's residence. In the vicinity of the villa there are many signs with quotes from famous authors.