Trazegnies was the seat of a powerful seigniory and the cradle of one of Europe’s most illustrious families. The Trazegnies family owned a castle worthy of their line. Today there remain the Romanesque cellars of the original manor, a rare survivor from the 11th century. The whole of the castle was rebuilt in the late 16th century after being sacked and torched in 1554. During the rebuilding, Charles II, the marquis of Trazegnies, had a magnificent main building erected, the jewel of the castle today and an almost unique example in Belgium of the Louis XIII style of architecture. The castle has been listed as a historic monument since 1950.

Its plane tree...In the castle courtyard you can admire a plane tree planted by the marquis of Trazegnies on 7th November 1735. Officially recognised as being the finest specimen in Belgium, it has a circumference of 4.6 metres and span of 44 metres. The park has been completely redesigned, giving it once again the prestigious look which had been lost since the 19th century.

Its museum and exhibitions...Under the 16th century roof structure and covering an area of about 450 square metres, a museum houses a remarkable collection of 3000 tools and objects recalling 33 crafts which our ancestors used to work at. Today, the museum is not accessible for safety reasons. In the castle can be seen paintings by Jean Ransy, Roméo Dumoulin and Albert Mascaux, as well as paintings and sculptures by Charles Delporte. During the tourist season, theme exhibitions are regularly organised. In the castle shop will be found brochures, books, postcards and souvenirs, not forgetting the famous “Clos du château de Trazegnies” wine.

Its vineyard...This is a unique achievement: a vineyard cultivated on a Herlaimont slagheap. It was a local industrialist, François Dubois, who set out to prove that the slag-heaps, these remnants of the collieries, were not barren, planting vines and fruit trees there. Looking after the vine, picking the grapes and producing the wine all demand the greatest care and are done in the traditional way. All the equipment is in the Romanesque and Gothic vaulted cellars of Trazegnies castle. The wines produced have won various distinctions in competitions and were granted the title “appellation d’origine contrôlée” for the production of 2004.

• Adult : 8€

• Senior : 6.50€

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