Are you looking for that quintessential medieval castle with a moat? Look no further than Lavaux-Sainte-Anne Castle in Belgium! This castle has lots of interesting charm, a cool look, a classic moat, and tons of interesting inside decorations to last an entire afternoon. It’s only 2.5 hours from Kaiserslautern and can be a fun part of any Dinant Belgium weekend trip! Here’s what to expect!
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How to Get There
Sainte Anne Castle is located conveniently near one of the major motorways in Belgium and has a parking area near the castle. It does cost €5 to get in and you can prebook your ticket or you can pay upon your arrival which is what I did. There is an outdoor nature area on the opposite side of the street and is included in the castle fee. The castle area was accessible and easy to get to.
History of Lavaux-Sainte-Anne
There has been some kind of structure in this area since at least the 1200s according to the castle’s historical record. The castle then was added to and changed until its final destruction in the early 1900s. Finally, in 1933 Baroness Lemonnier buys the area of the castle and rebuilds the structures to their current look today. The structure survives World War II and becomes part of a trust to ensure its maintenance and upkeep until today.
What’s Inside?
The castle is a really interesting piece of history in the area. It has so many different levels, rooms, art, taxidermy, hunting history, and artifacts in the building. It is also available for weddings and events in the castle or convention center next to it. There is a grand collection of hunting memorabilia which I found fascinating. It includes taxidermy animals, weapons, dog history, and my favorite, some recent photos of active hunts. It’s interesting to see how the Belgians hunt verse my history as an American hunter. The styles are very different! Finally, be ready to climb up and down stairs to go into the many levels of the castle from the moat dock area all the way inside the room of one of the spires. Happy trekking!
The fee is €5 and can be pre-ordered on the website or buy a ticket upon arrival at the castle.
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