Castle and Gardens of Annevoie
Designed and laid out between 1758 and 1776 by Charles-Alexis de Montpellier, the classical gardens of Annevoie blend French 17th-century rigour with English fantasy and Italian charm. Some 50 fountains, cascades and water jets, and 20 ornamental ponds make of Annevoie one of the most delightful gardens in Belgium. The engineering behind the fountains has been said to be of superior quality to those of Versailles.
History
The Montpellier family established themselves in Annevoie in 1696 after inheriting the domain from the de Halloy family. Tens successive generations of the Montpellier d'Annevoie family has occupied the property until 2000, when it was sold to businessman Stephan Jourdain. It is now partly owned by the Walloon Region.
The Gardens
The gardens have everything to please: a wild stream in an English-style grove, a symmertrical French drive along a tamed canal, a romantic Italian covered hornbeam lane with Roman statues, a Grand Canal, a rosary, flower gardens and several ponds.
Larger photos of the castle and gardens can be seen in the Eupedia Gallery. A detailed virtual visit of the gardens is available on the official website.
The Castle
The castle itself is a wonderful example of the Condrusian style (the Condroz being the geological region south of the Sambre-Meuse axis). The right wing of the castle is the original manor built in 1627 along the Rouillon river. It was extended in the second half of the 18th century in the classical style, though constructed with the grey stones typical of the region, which gives it an exceptional charm.
Admission
The castle is only open daily from 4 April to 8 November from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm (till 6:30 pm in July and August). Visits are unguided with explanatory leaflet and a map
Entry is 7.80 € for adults, and 5.20 € for children. There is also a restaurant and a café with terrace in the castle's orangerie.
How to get there
The Castle of Annevoie is located halfway between Namur and Dinant on the left bank of the Meuse River.
By car, take the E411 (Brussels-Namur-Luxembourg) motorway, and exit at junction 14 (Namur-Bouge/Achêne), then follow the N92 towards Dinant.
Using public transports, bus No 21 from Namur station takes about 30min and stops right in front of the gardens.
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