It's a sunny day in Belgium! And winter break begins at 15:00,Let's celebrate! I have been wanting to get to La Hulpe since we arrived. Everyone we talk to in Waterloo asks if we have been there, especially when they find out we are runners. Apparently this is the place to run, bike or, my favourite British term, Ramble, in the area. I have the car for one more day and I, going to take advantage!
Molly and I pick up Danny at school, walk home and grab Charlotte and motor off to La Hulpe. It certainly is as advertised. A kensington in MI like setting, grounds,paths,woods and ponds. There are people of all ages strolling everywhere,moms and tots feeding the ducks and carp, ladies in their 80's with arms linked chattering away, serious runners in their European style pro running clothes( no old torn college sweatshirts or 10 years ago 5K shirts here!) and the occasional cyclist are all here. We have about an hour before the sun starts to set, so we just head to the chateau and stroll around, next time we will choose a mapped out walking route.
Originally, the estate was an integral part of the Sonian Forest. In 1833, Marquis Maximilien de Béthune bought 341 ha of forest, which he partially cleared to lay out a park. He built three warden's cottages and two farms, then he began construction on the château (completed in 1842), which he entrusted to the French architect Jean-Jacques Nicolas Arveuf-Fransquin and to the Belgian Jean-François Coppens.
Erected at the top of the hill, in the Flemish neo-renaissance style then at its height of popularity, the château, dressed in red brick with lines of natural stone was flanked by four towers and four turrets. The marshland at the bottom of the hill was turned into a pond.
While he was alive, Ernest Solvay left his property to his children. The Domaine de La Hulpe was divided between his two sons, the north part going to Edmond and his eldest son Armand received the château and the bottom part of the property, which together make up the current Domaine Solvay.
Armand Solvay, and later his son, Ernest-John made significant alterations to the estate, giving it the layout it has today.
The architect Georges Collin made major changes to the appearance of the château. The turrets, central steeple and the glass canopy were removed; the spires on the towers shortened and the red brick was covered in light-coloured render.
Ernest-John built a belvedere with 140 steps leading up to it. A French garden was created on one side of the château. Opposite the main façade, an opening turfed along 800m in a straight line through the forest culminated in a 36m high obelisk topped by a golden sun. He planted exotic species that are still there to this day.
Concerned by the prospect that in the future the estate would be broken up, he was successful in listing it as a protected building in 1963 and some years later, he decided to gift it to the Belgian state under the condition that it would not be divided and that cultural exchanges and events would be developed. After Ernest-John died in 1972, this 227 hectare property became open to the public.
The cool map above is the whole set up, and as you can see there are tons of areas to explore. Can't wait for spring! I think the chateau building is an office of some kind, and is used for weddings and special events--can you imagine getting married there?! I will share a few more photos I took and close, unable to figure out why my iPad is insisting that the second half of my entry be Blue And Underlined! I love technology!!
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