Château du Lavaux

En un regard

Le château en bref

Le château du Lavaux overlooks the right bank of the Ourthe, near the Esneux bridge (Liège province). Its foundations date back to the 13th century, and the present building is attributed to the 14th century, then remodelled in the 18th century: a lintel on the ground floor bears the date 1781 and a vertical sundial. The south façade, built of rubble sandstone and whitewashed limestone, is preceded by a terrace and a double curved staircase; a short square tower with a mansard roof flanks the south gable, and the wrought-iron gate bears the arms of the Berleur-Nizet family. Among the successive owners were the Hoensbroek, Baugnée and Souverainpré families, then the Nizet-Berleur family, who also owned the Rond-Chêne château in Esneux, and the de Melotte family. Leased to the Athénée d’Esneux until 1971 and then put up for sale, the château was saved by a public auction in 1976, obtained by the Royal Commission for Monuments and Sites so that it could be fully restored. Listed in 1961, it now houses offices (architects, notaries).