Castle of Ardenne
Encyclopedia
Houyet
Houyet is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Namur. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 4,485 inhabitants. The total area is 122.31 km², giving a population density of 37 inhabitants per km²....
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
not far from Ciergnon Castle. The construction of the building was ordered in 1874 by King Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
, to the plans of his architect Alphonse Balat
Alphonse Balat
Alphonse Hubert François Balat was a Belgian architect.He studied at the Academie of Namur and obtained his degree in architecture from the Academy of Antwerp in 1838....
. It replaced an older hunting lodge
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
built in the 1830s by Leopold I
Leopold I of Belgium
Leopold I was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians, following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
.
King Leopold II wanted to promote the Belgian region of the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
as a holiday destination for the international jet-set. To this end he had his château converted into a luxury hotel. A railway station in the corner of the park made the remote castle accessible to tourists. An 18-hole golf course was installed in the park. The Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits
Carlson Wagonlit
Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits , also CIWL, Compagnie des Wagons-Lits, or just Wagons-Lits, is an international hotel and travel logistics company, particularly known for its on-train catering and sleeping car services, as well as being the historical operator of the Orient Express.Now...
ran the hotel from 1898 onwards. It finally closed its doors in 1950, and was then destroyed by fire in 1968. The remains were demolished in 1970.
Today only the "Tour Léopold", a pavilion in the beautiful park, remains of the vast castle. It serves as a club house to the Royal Golf Club du Château Royal d'Ardenne.
External links
- www.chateaudardenne.be
- Royal Golf Club du Château Royal d'Ardenne (on www.destinationgolf.be)
- Royal Golf Club du Château Royal d'Ardenne