Belgium and Luxembourg (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

(WallPaper) #1

204 BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG REGION BY REGION


Corroy-le-


Château 9


Rue de Corroy-le-Château 4,
Gembloux; 20 km (12 miles) NW of
Namur. Road Map D3. Tel (081)



  1. n Office du Tourisme de
    Gembloux, Rue Sigebert 1; (081)

  2. http://www.corroylechateau.com


Its woodland setting gives this
splendid medieval fortress a
romantic appeal. The robust
13th-century towers and gate-
way over the moat lead to an
intimate U-shaped courtyard
inside. The interiors, however,
have been much altered over
the centuries and are mainly
in the 18th- and 19th-century
styles. The castle had been in
the same family since 1270,
but a protracted succession
dispute led to its sale in 2008.
Many concerts and special
events are held throughout
the year, including a medieval
fête in late April, with jousting
knights on horseback.


Fountains at the extensive and beautiful gardens of the Château d’Annevoie


Brasserie du
Bocq w

Rue de la Brasserie 4, Purnode; 8 km
(5 miles) SE of Annevoie-Rouillon.
Road Map D3. Tel (060) 610780.
@ # Jul–Aug: daily; late Mar–Jun
and Sep–Oct: Sat and Sun. & 8
2–4pm. = http://www.bocq.be

The picturesque, whitewashed
Brasserie du Bocq at Purnode
was founded by Martin Belot
in 1858 and is still run by the
family. It makes a wide range
of beers, including St Benoît,

Abbaye de


Floreffe 0


Rue du Séminaire 7, Floreffe; 11 km
(7 miles) SW of Namur. Road
Map D3. Tel (081) 445303. # Jul–
Aug: 10:30am–5:30pm; Apr–Jun and
Sep–Oct: 1:30–5:30pm. & 8 0
= http://www.abbaye-de-floreffe.be
Moulin-Brasserie # 11am–6pm
Mon–Fri, 11am–8pm Sat and Sun.


Occupying a commanding
position on a hilltop above
River Sambre, the Abbaye de
Floreffe exudes a reassuring
authority. St Norbert (see p163)


Jardins
d’Annevoie q

Rue des Jardins d’Annevoie 37,
Annevoie; 12 km (7 miles) SE of
Floreffe. Road Map D3. Tel (082)


  1. £ @ # Apr–Nov: daily.
    & 7 - = http://www.annevoie.be


The elegant 18th-century
Château d’Annevoie is famous
for its beautiful park packed
with water features. Supplied
by four springs filling a long
basin called the Grand Canal,
they include a number of
fountains, pools and water-
falls including the strangely
hushed corrugated waterfall.
Statues, formal gardens,
woodland glades and a grotto
help create an enchanting
environment, all of which was
designed in the 18th-century
to reflect French and Italian
tastes of the period. The
château itself has been in the
Montpellier family since 1675,
and is unfortunately not open
to visitors.

founded a monastery on this
site in 1121 and it became
one of the region’s leading
Premonstratensian abbeys.
Wrecked many times by mili-
tary action, it was largely
remodelled in the 18th cen-
tury in an imposing late-
Renaissance style. It was then
closed during the French
Revolution, but reopened as a
seminary in 1830. The church,
dating from the 13th century,
is an atmospheric potpourri
of styles ranging from Neo-
Classical to Romanesque. The
highlights are the exceptional
Baroque choir stalls, master-
pieces of the German-born
sculptor Peter Enderlin, who
devoted 16 years (1632–48) to
the intricate carvings.
The abbey is also famous
as a producer of beer, cheese
and bread, and its products
can be sampled at the now
restored 13th-century brewery,
the Moulin-Brasserie.

The moat and towers at the
entrance to Corroy-le-Château

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp269–71 and pp296–7

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