ガーフェレの洞窟・トップ20

Today, the castle is home to the Vrijzinnig Centrum Liedts (Liedts Free Centre), which gives the building a contemporary cultural and social function. The park, still open to the public, serves as Oudenaarde's green lung, connecting the rich history of the Liedts family with the daily life of the city. It's a lovely place to stroll.

The gate also serves as a bridge over the Kalebeek stream. The north facade of the gate (facing the church) features, in addition to the date 1864, the coat of arms of the t'Kint de Roodenbeke family, who acquired the castle that year (and still own it).

Liedts Castle After the demolition of Oudenaarde's former city walls, part of this vacant land was sold to the prominent Liedts family. Charles Liedts, one of the founding fathers of Belgium, Minister of Finance in the mid-1800s, and one of the founders of the National Bank of Belgium, had a country house built there around 1860. Originally a white plastered castle, it was rebuilt in 1883 by his son, Amedée Liedts, in an eclectic style. The park, in the English landscape style, was largely laid out between 1865 and 1869. In 1907, the childless Amedée donated Liedts Castle, along with its library, art collection, and park, to the city of Oudenaarde, which opened the estate as a city park. Today, the castle is home to the VCL, the Liedts Liberal Centre. The park is open to the public and is the green lung of the city of Oudenaarde.

Since 1654, the castle domain, located along the Kasteelstraat in Lozer, has been owned by the della Faille d’Huysse family. The beautiful castle was called ‘’t Goed Uplosere’ in the 17th century. The block-shaped castle acquired its current neoclassical appearance during renovations in the 18th century. From the Kasteelstraat you can see the symmetrical rear facade. From the Appelhoekstraat you have a view of the front facade. The 19th century park in English landscape style consists of ponds, winding paths, bridges and appurtenances such as a walled vegetable garden, caretaker’s house, dog kennel, coach house, tower-shaped garden pavilion, farmyard and gatehouse. From the castle domain, a double avenue leads to the O.-L.-Vrouw van Bijstandkerk.

B & B, for horse lovers. Very beautiful domain, unfortunately not accessible to us, regular hikers.

Original country house built by the Ghent architect L. Roelandt who owned the old "Goed ten Ast" in 1834 and drew the plans for his country residence on the south side of it. According to the land registry archives, it was completed around 1850. Subsequently adapted several times, including around 1900 and in 1920 by the then owner, the Ghent industrialist G. Van Oost. Current condition is the result of renovations in 1958 designed by architect F. Bonaert. Castle with appurtenances including a belvedere tower and greenhouses beautifully planted on the slope above the stream valley with a landscaped rose garden to the west and a park with ponds in landscape style, accessible via a gate on the Korte Aststraat, connected to the Lange Aststraat with monumental closure with iron chains between square pedestals with garden vases. More recent entrance gate on the village square of Mullem (Oudenaarde). (Immovable Heritage Inventory)

The "de Gerlache" after which the castle - officially called "Den Ast" - is often called is Gaston de Gerlache, mayor of Mullem for 3 legislatures, but above all an explorer. In 1957-1958 he led the second Belgian expedition to Antarctica, 60 years after his father led the first with the Belgica. During this second expedition, in which the Polarhav and the Polarsirkel took them to Antarctica, the King Baudouin base was established there. During the next expedition, led by Guido Derom, a 2,400 meter high mountain in Antarctica was named after Gaston de Gerlache. Another fact about the castle: an emperor penguin, Hans, brought along from the expedition, who was housed in the Antwerp Zoo, was given a place in the castle after his death. Sources: Wikipedia https://www.kruisem.be/kasteel-de-gerlache-huise

Beautifully illuminated castle.