On 1 May, the third edition of the “Family Castle Life” event will take place. Organised on the occasion of the Youth and Heritage Week by the Secretariat of the European Heritage Days, for one day, families will be able to access 32 castles for free in Wallonia, learn, play and explore at will, enjoying guided tours, treasure hunts, educational games, historical scenes and play areas.
In each castle, in addition to the visits and activities offered by the organizers, parents and children will be able to experience heritage in practice through educational games, developed by the Walloon Heritage Agency and the non-profit organization Museums and Society in Wallonia through a creative game for children aged 3 to 5 and a treasure hunt for children from 6 to 12 years old.
Although all the activities are free of charge, reservations need to be made online beforehand for some of the locations. Below, just a few examples of the châteaux that await to be discovered next Monday.
1. Le château d’Hélécine
Symbol of Walloon Brabant, the castle of Hélécine and its 28-hectare park of wonderfully illustrates the rich cultural, historical and touristic heritage of the estate. The 18th century neoclassical castle, located halfway between Brussels and Liège, has lived through all eras, survived all the battles and repelled all the menaces of time. The old abbey was founded by the Premonstratensian order. In 1772, the architect Laurent-Benoît Dewez was entrusted with the mission of drawing the plans for the new abbey infrastructures. The duotone of the façade of the castle is due to the use of red brick and white stone, known as Gobertange stone.
2. Le château de Seneffe
It is the wealth of Count Depestre, banker and businessman of the 18th century, that we have to thank for being able to admire today the Seneffe estate, whose showpiece is the castle. Julien-Ghislain Depestre paid particular attention to the construction of his residence and asked the architect Laurent-Benoît Dewez to comprise the new concepts of social life at the time, focused on comfort, intimacy and pageantry. Seneffe is thus a residence that eloquently reflects the major ideology trends of the 18th century. It houses two types of apartments: those for society, known as ceremonial, and those for convenience, known as private. The spaces are made up of a set of rooms where each one plays its role. Mirrors, parquet floors and stuccos all contribute to a perfect staging.
3. Le château et le donjon de Raeren
Although the two buildings were built during the 14th century, the castle and the keep of Raeren underwent a completely different development. The keep has remained in its almost original state as an imposing residential tower surrounded by moats. The fortified character of the building as well as the agricultural buildings separated from the keep are still visible today. It is located in a beautiful environment, integrated in a park with several streams. It is a private property inhabited by the Blank family.
As for Raeren Castle, it was originally a residential tower of similar dimensions, the footprint of which almost doubled at the end of the 16th century with the addition of an annex. Numerous alterations in the 18th century transformed it into a romantic-style castle. It has housed the Raeren Pottery Museum since 1960, which presents the history of Raeren stoneware.
4. Le château du Faing
The Château du Faing stands at the entrance to the village of Jamoigne, in the centre of Gaume region and on the banks of the Semois River. Towards the end of the 15th century, its first occupants belonged to the family of the same name. Becoming barons in 1623, they occupied the premises for more than 300 years. The castle was then inhabited by several owners including, in 1872, Count Fernand de Loen d’Enschedé. The latter had it rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style. At the beginning of the First World War it became an important infirmary. During the Second World War, the castle welcomed and saved from extermination 87 Jewish children. Rest house, home, then municipal property since 2000, the castle underwent major restoration works in 2010, when it was entrusted to the administrative services of the City of Chiny.
5. Le château de Freÿr
The former Renaissance style summer residence of the Dukes of Beaufort-Spontin welcomes visitors to explore its classic interior, furnished and decorated by the twenty generations who have lived there. It invites guests to discover history (royal guests, Treaty of Coffee) in a naturally sumptuous setting. The formal terraced gardens, in the style of Le Nôtre, offer both splendour and privacy, while the murmur of water jets, the scent of tercentenary orange trees and a set of small labyrinths will enchant young and old.
