Château de Betz

En un regard

Le château en bref

Château de Betz (Kasteel van Bets), also known as Château d'Elsmeren, stands in Geetbets, in the Flemish Brabant, on the site of a former "Thof ter Elsemer" first mentioned in 1365 and probably derived from a moated feudal motte. Around 1667, Jacques van de Ven, lord of Bets and receiver-general of the States of Brabant, had the former hof demolished and a new château built, incorporating older remains, including foundations and a Gothic chimneypiece. The Liège family de Ryckman acquired the lordship in 1696 and retained it until 2002. Remodelled in the 1880s (central projecting section, polygonal turret, neoclassical porch), the château underwent a neo-traditional restoration from 1923 to 1927, commissioned by Baron Fernand de Ryckman: Baroque gables, a terrace, a parterre and a water garden. Surrounded by a moat and a basse-cour, it extends across a landscaped park of about 1.7 hectares, with notable trees including a giant sequoia. The site has been listed as a monument since 21 December 2006. For twenty-two years, the Heerlijckyt van Elsmeren developed a training, events and accommodation centre there.