The best traffic-free bike rides around Fernelmont

Franc-Waret Castle is located in the commune of Fernelmont, in the province of Namur, Wallonia. It is surrounded by a moat and decorated with French-style gardens. An English-style garden extends over 120 hectares around the palace.

peaceful place

Hanneche Castle, also known as Grande Cense, is located in Burdinne, Wallonia. Built in the 18th century, it was transformed into a castle with a park in 1784 by Count Gustave de Priuli. The castle features neoclassical architecture with lounges decorated with murals and retains its original style with buildings arranged in an L shape.

It is worth taking a walk around the church. The wall surrounding the elevated place contains various inscriptions, older crosses, information boards and commemorative plaques concerning victims of the world wars. The 'borne potale' is also located right next to the church (more towards the rear). Don't miss the parsonage behind the church and where a path between the wall of the church and the parsonage also allows you to discover information about one of the pastors who was in the resistance during the war and hid Jewish children from the German occupiers. .

The parish of Hannêche, dedicated to the Bishop of Liège in the 7th century, is mentioned in the archives in 1274. In 1321, this Namur enclave in the principality of Liège was under the control of the Chapter of Andenne and the Chapter of Saint-Lambert, which owned 40 hectares of land there. A painted wooden Christ on the cross, on the back of which relics have been found, dates from this period. The village, the church, the parsonage and the barn where the tithes on the harvest were collected were burned down in 1692 by the troops of Louis XIV who were encamped in Acosse. After the fire, the church was rebuilt in brick and limestone according to the traditional layout of rural churches in the 18th century. Source: church information board.

The Château de Hannêche is also known as the 'Grande Cense'. According to documents, this already existed in the fifteenth century, or at least the basis of it, because the 'Grande Cense' was not yet a castle. Even now you may still wonder whether it is really a castle, but the fact is that in 1784 the last lord of the agricultural village of Hannêche, Count Gustave de Priuli, attempted to turn it into a castle and it was therefore called the Château de Hannêche. de Priuli bought the manor of Hannêche in 1784 from Jean-Charles Davin, who was previously lord of Hannêche. During the transformation works, Priuli also created a park as is typical of castles. He also created neoclassical salons with murals. However, La Grande Cense has retained its 18th century architectural style. The layout consists of the house and outbuildings in an L-shape. The brick walls are decorated with horizontal bands of limestone, typical of Hesbaye's 18th-century civil architecture. Partial source: http://www.wikihuy.be/index.php?title=Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Hann%C3%AAche

Fernelmont Castle is a manor located in Noville-les-Bois. The castle dates back to the 13th century, when it was built as a keep by the de Noville family. It was then enlarged and renovated by the Marbais, Barwitz and Harscamp families, who added various architectural and decorative elements. Surrounded by ponds and gardens, the castle is classified as an exceptional heritage site. You will be able to admire the exterior of the castle which presents a mixture of styles and periods, such as the Gothic keep-porch, the Renaissance residential wing and the Baroque staircase. Château de Fernelmont is a place where you can appreciate the beauty and charm of the Belgian countryside.

A classically-styled castle withdrawn in a vast park. Built in the 19th century by Baron Gaiffier d'Hestroy, former Belgian ambassador to Paris and former governor of the province of Namur. Today housing and business headquarters.