Château des Princes de Ligne | Antoing

Near Tournai, the Château des Princes de Ligne can be visited through guided tours, rich in historical details and anecdotes A real neo-Gothic gem to discover in Hainaut.

History

The Château des Princes de Ligne was the bastion of the powerful  family Melun before being passed to the Princes de Ligne, the current owners.

The castle

In the 19th century, a disciple of famous architect Viollet-le-Duc, Clément Parent, turned the castle into a magnificent neo-Gothic residence. It is now accessible to the public through guided tours.

Guided tours

These will reveal:

• the 12th century surrounding walls and the bolewerk (fortified bastion) built in the 15th century
• the lapidary museum, where visitors can see the remarkable recumbent and praying figures of Antoing, Melun and Ligne
• the dungeon, the knights' room and the lord's bedroom.
• The history the castle lived through:  the Hundred Years War, the Burgundian period, the troubles of the Inquisition...

The site hosted historical personalities over the centuries, including Charles de Gaulle, a student during the 1907-1908 school year.