Vilain XIIII Castle (Leut Castle)

The castle got its present form in the 18th century under Louis XIV.

Burgrave Vilain XIIII. laid out an English garden here in the 19th century. In this well-preserved park you walk between the castle and the Maas, where you can see a rare collection of trees that the burgrave probably brought back from his trips abroad.

On the site where Vilain XIIII Castle, also known as Leut Castle, now stands, there was already a castle. In the centuries that followed, there were various construction phases (and versions) until what was still standing fell into disrepair in the 18th century. The castle then came into the hands of Count Charles Vilain XIIII, a member of parliament and minister who was involved in the establishment of Belgium as an independent country and got to work on it. In addition to renovation, this also meant a park. There are various trees that he brought back from his travels. Several of them are barely alive anymore but are still being preserved because they form a beautiful ecosystem. Some are really still very beautiful to see. There are various avenues, orchards and more around the building. Part of the castle later served as a hospital for a long time and then as a nursing home for the elderly, as you can still clearly see (it is possible that the new owner, see below, will demolish that part). In 2021, the Flemish government bought it and, as the signs show, they have a lot of plans for it. The castle (and educational nature activities for kids) are already on a family walk in Leut (for the little ones, see also photos). More about the government's plans on toerismevlaanderen.be/nl/thema/erfgoed/kasteel-van-leut You can already see the places for a glamping or eco-camping project and you can see the future vision for the castle in PDF on a drawing on toerismevlaanderen.be/sites/default/files/media/files/2023-01/Kasteeldomein%20van%20Leut.pdf

Beautiful, be sure to walk behind too 👌