This tour will take you to the top of our national patrimony: our privately-owned medieval castles.

The world of royalty, aristocracy and nobility is a very closed world where only the privileged are allowed to enter.  Generations after generations, they have owned and managed an incredible wealth which is now either locked up in museums or part of private top collections.

Fine art, paintings, statues, medieval arms, etc… are exceptionally on display for you!

You will be shown around by the owners themselves where no-one from the public has ever been before.  These places are reserved for crowned heads or top politicians. 

The golden guest books of the castles you are about to visit are impressive… 

This will be a day you will remember for the rest of your life!

Program :

10h30 : Departure by limousine from your hotel for an impressive Castle tour.

11h30 : Arrival at the Castle of Ooidonk, where Count ‘t Kint de Roodenbeke, the owner of the castle, will welcome you personally.  He has a very strong liaison with the Anglo-Saxon world, mainly the Scottish nobility.

You will be welcomed with a glass of Champagne, and get to know the Count personally.  He will show you his impressive castle which some call “the most beautiful castle in the country”.

12h30 : Lunch with the Lord in his private rooms.

14h30 : Departure by limousine for a great ride through the hilly Flemish Ardens.

 We will be passing several castles well hidden in the forests.   During the tour your driver can take you to a specific point of interest. 

Here are several possibilities:
. A vintage collection of oldtimer cars (Mahymobiles);
. A drive through the beautiful hilly Flemish Ardens;
. A visit to the museum dedicated to the best Flemish cyclists like Eddy Merckx;
. A visit to the Flemish Tapistry centre in Oudenaarde which has unique historic woven carpets on display;
Etc…

18h00 : We will arrive at the Castle of Beloeil, which is one of Belgium’s most important castles, with one of the country’s most important owners:  Prince de Ligne.

You will be personally welcomed by Prince and Princess de Ligne, the actual owners. 

Belgium is a kingdom, and the Prince and Princess de Ligne are the highest noble persons in the country!   In our royal hierarchy, the Prince and Princess are right underneath our Royal Family!  

They will take the time to welcome you, show you around their impressive castle, and you will even be invited to have dinner with them in one of their private rooms.

In each castle your picture will be taken together with the owners.  It will be framed and sent to your hotel so you can take it home as a souvenir.

Introduction to the Castle of Ooidonk.

Ooidonk Castle lies east of the village of Bachte-Maria-Leerne, a few kilometers south west of Gent.
The castle's name is a derivation of the word 'hodonk' which means a higher piece of land in a swamp.
Ooidonk Castle was built as part of a line of defense around the city of Gent and secured the river Leie.  The first, medieval, castle was built somewhere in the 13th or 14th century and was owned by the Lords of Nevele.

In the 15th century the castle became property of the Van Montmorency family who kept it in their possession for 160 years. This period was the most turbulent period of the castle's history. In 1491 it was burned to the ground because its owners had choosen the side of Maximillian of Austria. The Van Montmorency family completed the rebuilding in 1501. However, in 1579 the castle was again burned to the ground during a siege. And in 1595 it was sold by the devastated family.
The new owner was Maarten della Faille, an Antwerp banker, who rebuild Castle Ooidonk in the Spanish-Flemish style with all the wealth of the Renaissance period. He gave the castle its current appearance. His descendants, the Barons of Nevele, owned the castle for two centuries.  

In 1870 a large restoration started by the French architect Parent. He adapted the castle to the living standards of his period. The exterior was left mostly intact, apart from a couple of pseudo-renaissance style adaptations. The interior was completely remodelled so that nowadays we can see how a large, 19th century, mansion looked like.

Introduction to The Castle of Beloeil. 

The history of this castle goes back to the beginning of the 12th century. It was the property of the Lords of Beloeil until it came in the hands of the family of the Princes The Ligne.

The castle as we see it now was built by Claire-Marie van Nassau the Princess de Ligne in 1680 and after she passed away her son proceeded with the works.

The castle is heavenly inspired by 17th century French architecture. Still it keeps a bit of it’s middle age pride thanks to the four corner towers.

The castle and the gardens were already famous in the 17th century. Disaster struck in 1900 when the main building was destroyed by a fire. The inhabitants of the village were luckily able to save most of the furniture and the priceless art. The castle was rebuild under the leadership of the French architect, Sanson.

The library holds 20,000 volumes with a large number of rare manuscripts.

The famous French gardens are 120ha and they date from the 17th century. Field Marshal Charles–Joseph Prince De Ligne added English gardens in the 18th century.

The castle and its domain is a symbol of a family which has left its mark on Belgium’s history.

   
Contact :

BRUSSELS INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICES
Mr Marc Dans

RUE ARTHUR DIDERICH 30 - BRUSSELS
Tel + 32 2 543 10 10
Fax + 32 2 538 12 94
e-Mail :  marc@bits.skynet.be