Ansembourg New Castle

Ansembourg, Luxembourg

The New Castle of Ansembourg is one of the castles belonging to the Valley of the Seven Castles. In 1639, industrialist Thomas Bidart built the central part of today's castle as a comfortable house surrounded by walls and towers, two of which still stand. Originally from Liège in Belgium, Bidart, who was a pioneer of Luxembourg's iron and steel industry, named the building Maison des Forges (House of the Ironworks). During the Thirty Years' War, he tapped the region's many water sources and exploited its timber and iron, manufacturing arms at a foundry close to the old castle. As a result, his family prospered, earning rights to the title of Lords of Amsembourg which had belonged to the Raville family until 1671.

It was the de Marchant family who, after inheriting the property by marriage, undertook its astonishing transformation into today's modern-looking castle. In 1719, the courtyard was extended with two wings on either side of the original building. The southern gable was enhanced with a magnificent arch where four statues represent the four continents. Fitted with two small towers, the new façade overlooked the gardens which were connected to the castle through an arcade. The first-floor balcony above the porch provided an excellent view of the gardens, complete with flowerbeds and a fountain. Between 1740 and 1750, Lambert Joseph de Marchant et d'Ansembourg further improved the gardens and extended the buildings on the north side of the main courtyard so that they could be used as stables and lodgings for the castle staff. In 1759, Count Lambert Joseph added the impressive Baroque gateway bearing the arms of de Marchant of Ansembourg and Velbruck.

Since 1987, the castle has belonged to Sûkyô Mahikari who has undertaken substantial renovation work with the assistance of Luxembourg's Service des Sites et Monuments nationaux. Initially work was centred on reinforcing the foundations and walls and on restoring the staircase of honour on the upper terrace in the gardens. From 1999, the statues and the fountains in the garden were repaired while the roofs over the two wings and the central section were rebuilt. Work is now concentrated on restoring the oldest part of the building which dates from the 17th century.

The castle gardens are open to visitors from 9 am every day. The castle also hosts a number of cultural events during the year.

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Details

Founded: 1639
Category: Castles and fortifications in Luxembourg

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Sharneigh Brown (12 months ago)
Stunning. No visitors made beautiful photos. Friendly cat, dedicated gardeners and maintenance team. No admission cost but perhaps you can donate online
Raymond ZHOU (12 months ago)
The garden is free access. It’s pity that the castle is not open to public (maybe they only open in summer). Over all the garden is nice and clean. I am sure summer time it will be more beautiful. Nothing special. Uk and Ireland has much nicer one. If they have some kind of tea house. That would be great. The whole area got nothing except the garden.
Wim Willems (12 months ago)
always my stop ik between Bruges ans Basel. Nice place to relax and see the evolution of this garden. only there could be little bit more attention and accomodations for guests.
Kavya Tiwari (13 months ago)
The place is quiet nice specially the garden is so beautiful with lot of fishes swimming in it. Deducting one star as the place is not well maintained.
Mike Aoun (15 months ago)
I loved the gardens of this castle. The access is free, and you can reach it through public transportation. The gardens were very well maintained and they had a wintert vibe. Very clean and they even have a bathroom which is also very clean. Recommended for a day out.
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