Former summer residence belonging to the Dukes of Beaufort-Spontin, along the Meuse river, the château and the gardens of Freÿr are the most French-inspired amongst the Wallonia domains, in Belgium.
The classic gardens, designed in the spirit of Le Nôtre, the fountains and the orangery of Freÿr are nestled in a protected natural setting, where the waters of the Meuse river slip into a natural fault of this Ardennes plateau. Between Waulsort and Dinant, the superb domain faces more than 100 meter-high rocks. The historical homestead, in the Mosane Renaissance style, was erected on the ruins of a stronghold, demolished and reconstructed several times.
A historical Wallonian château in the French style
Still inhabited by the 20th generation of owners, the former duchy boasts a collection of period furniture that would spark the jealousy of the most knowledgable antique dealers. Several original decorative elements are on display for the public, such as the Grand Vestibule hallway with mural paintings signed Frans Snyders, a ceiling covered with mural frescoes, a dome worthy of the greatest Italian palaces, as well as a chapel with Régence wood paneling and its Baroque altar.
Royal souvenirs since the 17th century
In the reception rooms, typical of an 18th century aristocrat's summer residence, you will also notice the traces left behind by the passages of Louis XIV, Archduchess Marie-Christine, daughter of Empress Marie-Thérèse of Austria and King Stanislas of Poland. On the emplacement where the frontiers between France and the Principality of Liège were traced, visitors will undoubtedly enjoy discovering the children's coach that was a spotlight piece during the Universal Exhibition of Paris, in 1889. One of the many amusements that make Freÿr such an endearing landmark…
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