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Pie-shaped managed forest near Chateau Beloeil, sometimes referred to as the Belgian Versailles. Belœil became a possession of the Ligne family in 1394, and since the beginning of the 15th Century, has been the principal residence of the family. The old castle was a fortified rectangular building with a moat surrounding it and had four round towers, one at each angle.

This basic structure is still preserved, although the facades and interiors were greatly altered during the following centuries. The fortified castle was adapted into a luxurious country house (château), following the French example. The interiors were appointed with fine furniture and the art collection of the family.
During the New Year's celebrations of 1900, disaster struck the château when it burned down completely. Most of the furnishings, including the library of 20,000 rare volumes and the art collection, were saved. The château was rebuilt in the following years by the French architect Ernest Sanson, while the interiors were redecorated using pieces from the Ligne collections.

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Pie-shaped managed forest near Chateau Beloeil, sometimes referred to as the Belgian Versailles. Belœil became a possession of the Ligne family in 1394, and since the beginning of the 15th Century, has been the principal residence of the family. The old castle was a fortified rectangular building with a moat surrounding it and had four round towers, one at each angle.<br /> <br /> This basic structure is still preserved, although the facades and interiors were greatly altered during the following centuries. The fortified castle was adapted into a luxurious country house (château), following the French example. The interiors were appointed with fine furniture and the art collection of the family.<br /> During the New Year's celebrations of 1900, disaster struck the château when it burned down completely. Most of the furnishings, including the library of 20,000 rare volumes and the art collection, were saved. The château was rebuilt in the following years by the French architect Ernest Sanson, while the interiors were redecorated using pieces from the Ligne collections.

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