Castle of Corroy-le-Château
The castle of Corroy is one of the best preserved medieval castle in the Benelux, with massive round towers and a moat.
It was built around 1270 by the Count Philippe of Vianden and and his wife Mary of Brabant.
The castle passed to the family of Nassau-Dillenburg, princes of Orange, then to the Nassau-Corroy. In the late 19th century, the last Countess of Nassau-Corroy, Amelie, married Marquess Gillion of Trazegnies. The castle is still the property of his descendant, the Marquess Olivier of Trazegnies.
Description
The inhabited part of the castle was transformed in the 18th century. About half of the ground floor can be visited. This section was renovated in 1987, and boast magnificient furniture, paintings and porcelain from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
The grand staircase facing the main entrance has a ceiling in trompe-l'oeil depicting the marquess with his numerous family members and friends. It dates from 1987, when the castle was last renovated. People familiar with Belgian politics might recognise former Foreign Minister Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb.
The staircase leads to a gothic chapel on the entresol. The chapel has two doors in its side walls hiding "secret passages" for the use of the lord in medieval times. In fact, the two doors were linked by a baluster.
On the right of the main entrance, the impressive dining room has its walls entirely covered with white marble plates from Carrara separated by classical columns in black-and-green marble. The ceiling is finely decorated by a series of paintings in moulded frames. The room is a mid-19th century copy of a dining room in a Spanish palace belonging to the Crown Prince. It is said that the original is made of fake marble while the one in Corroy-le-Château is made of real marble.
The castle has a few living rooms, all with sumptuous decoration. The guided tour ends with a part of the castle maintained in its original 13th-century condition.
Admission
Corroy-le-Château has only been open to the public since 1971 and access is still limited.
The castle is only open from 1 May to 28 September on Sundays and public holidays from 10am to 6pm (also Saturdays in July and August).
Entry is 7 € for adults, and 2 € for children between 6 and 10 years old.
How to get there
Corroy-le-Château is just a few kilometres south-west of Gembloux, along the N29 road.
By car, the easiest way is to take the E411 (Brussel-Luxemburg) and exit 11 for Gembloux then follow the N29 for a dozens km. Coming from the E42 (Mons-Liege), take exit and follow the indications for Gembloux and Corroy-le-Château.
Using public transports, catch a train to Gembloux from Namur (11 to 19min) or Brussels (27min from Brussels-Luxembourg or 45min from Brussels-Central), then bus 247a from Gembloux station to Corroy-le-Château.
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