Lavaux-Sainte-Anne Castle

Lavaux-Sainte-Anne Castle, locally known as Château de Lavaux-Sainte-Anne, lies next to the town with the same name, in the province of Namur in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

The castle dates back to the first half of the 15th century, built by the Berlo family. It was constructed on a swampy plain near the small Wimbe River, an affluent of the Lesse.

In 1450, the keep was built, and several years later, the castle was strengthened by Jean II de Berlo. Local history says he went on a crusade in 1453 to help free Constantinople from the Turks, but he took so long that he arrived too late.

In 1464, the castle was besieged by the citizens of Dinant, but they could not capture it.

In 1630, the castle was purchased by Baron Jacques-Renard de Rouveroy, an infantry colonel serving Emperor Ferdinand III. Due to changes in warfare tactics, the castle's defenses became useless, so he turned it into a country mansion. He removed one curtain wall, remodeled the facade of the inner courtyard in the Italian Baroque style, coated the castle in red brick, and added bulbous roofs.

During the French Revolution, the castle was abandoned and fell into ruin.

In 1934, it was bought by a baroness Lemonnier and later restored by the "Friends of Lavaux-Sainte-Anne Castle' foundation, bringing it back to its current glory.

Since 1958, the castle has housed a museum dedicated to hunting. Well, hunting might be your thing, but it isn't mine. I find it quite depressing, all those stuffed animals. But who am I to judge? Visiting the castle requires a small fee, granting access to roam freely through all its rooms. This is a stylish castle with a very French feel. It’s definitely worth a visit.

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