Mirwart Castle

Saint-Hubert, Belgium

Mirwart Castle is built on a rock rising above the Valley of the Lomme. The oldest parts of the castle date back to the 11th century. It was a stronghold belonging to the duchy of Lorraine. The lords of Mirwart had many bloody conflicts with other feudal lords of the region, such as the lords of Bouillon and Orchimont.

The lords of Mirwart came into conflict with the monks of the powerful Saint-Hubert Abbey, supported by the Prince-Bishop of Liège, who wanted to extend his power in this region to the disadvantage of the Dukes of Lorraine.

The castle was reinforced, sometime between 1077-1082, by Henry of Verdun, bishop of Liege. Following complaints from the abbey of Saint-Hubert, the castle was to be destroyed. This act, however, was not approved by the bishop. In 1099, after regaining control over the fief, Bishop Otbert ordered the reconstruction of the castle, which he granted to Bavon de Waha.

In 1293, against the bishop's wishes, the castle and its estates was acquired by Jean d'Avesnes. This resulted in a conflict between the Prince-Bishop of Liège and his new vassal, who sought support from the Counts of Hainaut, Luxembourg, Namur and Loon, and even from the Dukes of Brabant. Control of the castle changed regularly until it was finally held by Prince-Bishop Adolph II of the Marck.

During the numerous conflicts between Spain, Austria and France in the 17th and 18th centuries, the castle was damaged several times. It was only at the beginning of the 18th century that a long undisturbed period began when extensive renovations and embellishments could be undertaken. During this process the castle gradually lost its strongly fortified character.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the castle was acquired by Aimé-Gabriel d'Artigues, the founder of the famous Vonêche glassworks. Successive proprietors — the families Van der Linden d'Hoogvorst, d'Arrigade and von der Becke — further embellished the castle and turned it into a beautiful country residence. In the middle of the 19th century it was renovated by Alphonse Balat, architect to King Leopold II of Belgium.

After World War II the castle was acquired by the province of Luxembourg. The building was renovated but the province failed to find a use for it. As a result, little by little, the castle was neglected and was subsequently looted by burglars who removed valuable furniture and decorative fittings from the interior.

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Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Belgium

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Elke Van den Ende (2 years ago)
I photographed the lovely wedding of Margot & Nicolas here. Renovations were still ongoing, but the location was spectacular already. The building, the rooms, the view - super photogenic. Lots of beautiful colours in fall in the surroundings, too - sneaking out for a bit for some photos is 100% worth it.
Glenn Versieck (2 years ago)
As Michelin should say : worth a detour. Extremely tasteful redecorated castle, with care and love up to the standards of today's comfort and fine eye for detail. The château is located in the tranquil settings of the woods of Saint-Hubert. Magnificent food at an reasonable price, absolutely worth a Michelin star. If you're in the neighborhood, you certainly have to go there for lunch or dinner, and it's definitely worth a special journey if you enjoy a luxurious overnight stay. Congratulations to the owners of Château de Mirwart.
Olivier Balosso (3 years ago)
Hotel was not able to accommodate us in the junior suite booked despite prior paiement. Suggested us a lower quality room for same price or to leave. Awful behaviour.
Art (3 years ago)
The perfect Christmas 2022! Amazing experience from the pick up by horse & carriage from the parking (electric charging free of charge). We stayed in the Garden Deluxe Suite with our small doggy. The effort on styling is accurate and fine taste of materials feels warm and authentic. The food by Chef Nick was amazing, vegetarian delight, overall the staff has great sense of hospitality and makes you feel away from home. The pairing wines are just very good, breakfast on point and bar caters everyone. Feel like a prince & princess in this great castle on top of the mountains with amazing views, hiking in the nature is good option to feel grounded. Love from Amsterdam!
Pepa (3 years ago)
Such a great place, a real pleasure to had the chance to stay there. A good dining experience is about more than food and service. People eat with their eyes, so the way a meal looks is just as important as how good it tastes.……So just enjoy it !
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