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急で悪い石畳

One of the many locks on the canal. From here you can head up to Viesville or head towards Seneffe or Charleroi.

The first castle on this site is said to have been built in 1129 by knight Walter de Holton, the first lord of the lordship, which was given to him as a fief by the then Duke of Brabant. His father, Henri de Loupoigne, already ruled in neighbouring Houtain-le-Mont. Father Henri and son Walter thus obtained absolute power in the area of present-day Houtain-le-Val and Houtain-le-Mont. The castle actually belonged to the Duke of Brabant himself, Jan II the Peaceful. His successor, Jan III, acquired the castle for his eldest daughter, Johanna, who received Houtain from her father in 1345. The castle was passed down from generation to generation by the daughters of the family for many generations. Not much remains of the original castle. It was rebuilt in 1763 in classical style, but has retained a large part of its medieval facade. The oldest parts date from the fifteenth century, with architectural elements from the 12th century. Much has changed since then. For example, two turrets were added during restoration work in 1850. At a certain point, the castle came into the hands of the d'Hanins de Moerkerke family, originally from the Waas region. While most branches of this family made a name for themselves in Flanders, Count Fernand-Auguste-Joseph d'Hanins de Moerkerke married Marie de Waha in the nineteenth century. And so he became heir to the castle. His son Henri d'Hanins de Moerkerke became the next owner and mayor of Houtain-le-Val. And he had three daughters, the last of whom died in 2018. The castle is privately owned but can be viewed from various sides. For those, like me, who visited the village to find and follow the start of the Dijle, that private character is a pity - and also for heritage lovers of course. But at the point where you see a sign with the name of the river on the side of the domain you can see quite a bit, including how the river enters the domain. For those who want more information about the castle itself, visit this website for a virtual tour of the castle with a video report and interview: https://www.tvcom.be/info/focus-sur-genappe-visite-du-chateau-de-houtain-le-val-fonde-en-1126/50810

Quiet and very beautiful

Villers Abbey was founded in 1146 by the Cistercians. With the presence of slate and rich silt soil, all the conditions were present to found an abbey in this area. The domain surrounding the historical heritage is 30 hectares in size and houses eight gardens with different themes, a historical mill and a monk's pharmacy. Exhibitions, concerts and shows are regularly held on the site. If there is nothing to do, you can still settle down in the bistro to taste the abbey's beer.

avoid road crossings

Pretty horrible road surface

Fascinating how big this ruin is...