En un regard
Le château en bref
The Berlaarhof is a castle with a park in the centre of Berlaar (Antwerp province), on the Pastorijstraat. Its best-known occupant was the tenor Ernest Van Dijck, who moved in around 1900. Archives held by his descendants, the Vanderlinden family, have yielded photographs and plans from the early 20th century, when the castle and garden were remodelled. The municipality of Berlaar bought the estate in 2018: the adjoining farms and the gardener's house became private housing, while the castle and garden were given a social function. Since 2020, the association Villa Vip has housed ten adults with disabilities there, supported by a couple of care workers. The garden, opened to the public in late 2020 as a green space at the heart of the village, is managed by Kempens Landschap, which has planted fruit trees and native species and installed a bee hotel. The castle and part of the garden were recognised as built heritage by decision of 14 September 2019, and the estate forms part of the landscape ensemble ‘Gestel en omgeving’.