Top 10 Castles around Ronse

The castle of Anvaing is a strictly symmetrically built water castle with four corner towers. Dating from the 19th century, the castle is the main residence of the Count de Lannoy. Stephanie de Lannoy, the Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg, grew up in this castle with her family. The 18th-century gardens are French in style and were laid out at the behest of the Marquis Jean de Mesgrigny. The large pond by the castle is filled with water from the neighboring river, the Rhosnes. On May 28, 1940, the castle was the scene of an important historical event: the Belgian capitulation to the Germans was signed there. The castle is not open to the public... but from the street side, you get a beautiful view of the castle and its reflection in the pond. For a few years now, wine has been cultivated on the castle estate. In 2022, the first vines were planted on the estate, located on a south-facing slope with a well-draining loamy-calcareous soil. On an area of three hectares, there are approximately 18,000 Chardonnay and 2,000 Pinot Meunier vines, which equates to a relatively high planting density of around 6,600 vines per hectare compared to the Belgian average. The chosen rootstocks and planting density are intended to produce grapes with a high concentration. The estate focuses primarily on the production of still wines from a single grape variety. Source: Wikipedia

The castle and its outbuildings will soon be taken over by companies specializing in the renovation of historical monuments. Les Amis du Château d'En Haut (non-profit organization) specializes in estate rentals, and the proceeds are redistributed to restoration projects (Pineal Project: workshops, ceremonies, product presentations, exhibitions, performances, etc.). This is stated at: www.chateaudebossuit.com When I passed by, the gate on Kasteeldreef was simply open. There was nothing to indicate that the estate was inaccessible. For example, in the garden to the left of the castle, there seemed to be the remains of a pop-up bar or some kind of public event. When I left the estate on the Doorniksesteenweg side, the automatic gate gently opened for me. When I turned around, I saw a sign saying "Private / No Access."

Today, the castle is home to the Vrijzinnig Centrum Liedts (Liedts Free Centre), which gives the building a contemporary cultural and social function. The park, still open to the public, serves as Oudenaarde's green lung, connecting the rich history of the Liedts family with the daily life of the city. It's a lovely place to stroll.

Liedts Castle After the demolition of Oudenaarde's former city walls, part of this vacant land was sold to the prominent Liedts family. Charles Liedts, one of the founding fathers of Belgium, Minister of Finance in the mid-1800s, and one of the founders of the National Bank of Belgium, had a country house built there around 1860. Originally a white plastered castle, it was rebuilt in 1883 by his son, Amedée Liedts, in an eclectic style. The park, in the English landscape style, was largely laid out between 1865 and 1869. In 1907, the childless Amedée donated Liedts Castle, along with its library, art collection, and park, to the city of Oudenaarde, which opened the estate as a city park. Today, the castle is home to the VCL, the Liedts Liberal Centre. The park is open to the public and is the green lung of the city of Oudenaarde.

Beautiful park with ponds and café restaurant.

Beautiful park with many benches to rest for a while or have something to eat in the restaurant or drink a coffee on the terrace.

The Castle of Bossuit and the accompanying Orangery are still inhabited by the noble family de Talhouet. The lordship of Bossuit was a fief from the bishopric of Tournai. The lords of Bossuit sold the domain to the Luytens family in 1710. Michiel Maximiliaan Luytens later became Viscount of Bossuit. He renovated the original castle, had a park built and the castle got the four corner towers. The castle is neoclassical, inspired by the French Loire castle construction. The castle is protected as a monument (1995), as a valuable oeuvre of the 18th century Lille architect Lesaffre. The interiors are executed in a neat Louis XVI style with Louis XV elements. We find salons with rococo decoration and a rich library. In the staircase are numerous hunting trophies and several family portraits. The party took place in the Orangery, which was held in the presence of Leopold I, on the occasion of the official opening of the Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal in 1860. The castle park with pond and the castle avenue are protected as a village view. The castle domain is not accessible.

Walk the roads around for a better view.