The best walks and hikes around Wanze

The current castle ensemble is largely 16th century, but was built around a 14th-century square keep. The location of that keep was, of course, strategically chosen: slightly elevated above the surroundings, this point offers a good view. The original military architecture gave way in the 16th century to a balanced combination of defense and residential comfort. In addition to the main building, the domain includes a farm, a barn, and several outbuildings, which together form a coherent whole. All these constructions are built from locally quarried limestone rubble, while carefully dressed limestone was used for lintels, sills, door frames, and window frames. This choice of materials testifies to the craftsmanship and the prosperity of the owners during that period. The oldest known lord associated with Famelette is Thiry Lardinois de Famelette, lord of Moha, indicating the close ties between the domain and the local feudal power structures. In 1441, the castle passed into the hands of Collar de Hosden, who held the office of bailiff of Moha. His function as a representative of the lordly authority underscores the administrative importance of Famelette within the region. A decisive phase in the castle's history began in 1558, when it was acquired by the Berlaymont de Floyon family, an influential noble dynasty in the Southern Netherlands. Under their rule, the domain underwent two thorough renovations, during which the existing medieval structures were expanded and embellished. The Berlaymont de Floyon family remained owners of the castle until the early 19th century, an era marked by profound political and social changes, including the consequences of the French Revolution. Famelette subsequently came into the hands of the noble Aspremont Lynden family, who sold the domain in 1878 to the Collinet family (owners of Carmeuse, the quarries). Source: www.burchten-kastelen.be

It is striking that the victims mentioned on the monument, three from the First and two from the Second World War, did not fall here, but - with one exception, who died in Harderwijk in the Netherlands - fell one by one in West Flanders (De Panne, Adinkerke, Kuurne, Tielt). www.tracesofwar.nl

A peaceful and beautiful spot, indeed, but it is strange how it sits in the shadow of and contrasts with the gigantic buildings of La Carmeuse, the company that operates the nearby quarries.

Quarries have been a major industry in this region for almost a century. In recent decades, further expansion projects have been planned here in Moha. These have repeatedly met with resistance from residents of neighboring Vinalmont, where the rural hamlets of Wanzoul and Roua are threatened by an expansion of the quarry's current infrastructure. During a public inquiry organized by the local government in 1997, the number of written protests (nearly 1,500) exceeded the total number of residents of Vinalmont (over 1,070). Source: Wikipedia

The fortified tower, situated on the edge of the Fosseroule stream and defending the valley, is considered a peripheral bastion of Moha Castle, located a mile and a half away. Agricultural and residential buildings form an enclosed complex, built between the 17th and 19th centuries. In the eastern corner stands an imposing tower, built of limestone rubble, with a square plan (16th century) on a wider, sloping base. This tower originates from an earlier structure, the cellars of which have also been preserved. The openings were modified, and in the 17th century, the tower was extended on the south side with a bay of limestone rubble and brick, reaching the limits of the original structure. To the west of the tower stands a two-story house, perpendicular to the tower, built of limestone rubble, probably dating from the 17th century. Source: bibliotheca.wanze.be

The Château de Fosseroule is actually the Ferme-château de Fosseroule, a historic farmhouse with castle features, located at the confluence of the Mehaigne and Fosseroule rivers, near the famous medieval Château de Moha. It is a former walled farm and residence built in the 17th-19th centuries with an impressive east tower, a beautiful example of local heritage. The Fosseroule, after which the castle is named, flows into the Mehaigne River here. The castle grounds house a rural gîte "La Vieille Brasserie" (separate building) - see https://visitwallonia.be/fr-be/content/gite-rural-huccorgne-la-vieille-brasserie

Moha's old career

A farm castle with an imposing fortified tower from the 16th century that served as an outpost for Moha Castle. From the 17th to the 19th century, additional buildings (residential and agricultural) were built around it to form a closed complex.