Château de Freÿr

About the museum

Freÿr Castle stands on the bank of the Meuse, south of Dinant. A fortified stronghold was built there from 1378 by Jean d'Orjo, a burgher of Dinant, on land received as a fief from the Count of Namur. Since then the estate has never been sold, but has been handed down from generation to generation, three times through the female line: to the Spontin family (later Beaufort-Spontin), to the Laubespin family and finally to the Bonaert family.

After the Franco-Spanish Wars, the Meuse valley was occupied by French troops in 1554 and many Mosan fortresses were ravaged. Freÿr was reborn thanks to Guillaume de Beaufort-Spontin, who built a manor house there in 1571. From 1637 the building became a residence in the Mosan Renaissance style, as it can still be seen today. In 1675 the French and Spanish negotiated the Treaty of Freÿr there, which restored trade on the Meuse; it is said that coffee was served in Wallonia for the first time here. In the 18th century, under Frédéric-Auguste de Beaufort-Spontin, who became a duke, the castle was remodelled and reached its height.

During the First World War, the castle served as a German military hospital, which spared it the destruction suffered by Dinant. The owners restored the whole estate, castle and gardens, and opened the domain to the public in the late 1940s. The visit leads from the great vestibule decorated with hunting scenes after Frans Snyders, through the salons, the King's room and the rococo chapel, to the French-style gardens with their orange trees in tubs, the oldest in Europe, and their orangeries, the oldest in the former Low Countries.

Highlights

• Mosan Renaissance castle with furnished salons, including the great vestibule decorated with hunting scenes
• Rococo chapel with a holy-water font angel by Laurent Delvaux
• French-style gardens at the foot of the Meuse cliffs, with the Frédéric Saal rococo pavilion
• Orange trees in tubs, among the oldest in Europe, and historic orangeries
• Collection of faïences gourmandes from the Léon Courtin–Marcelle Bouché Fund

Permanent exhibitions

• Salons et chambres du château – Route through the furnished rooms of a Mosan Renaissance house: great vestibule, salons, rococo chapel and upstairs rooms.
• Jardins à la française et orangers – Parterres, pools, hornbeam hedges and orange trees in tubs, among the oldest in Europe, with historic orangeries.
• Les faïences gourmandes – 18th-century faience from the collection of the Léon Courtin–Marcelle Bouché Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation.

Operated by

Domaine de Freÿr ASBL

Admission & discounts

2026 prices. Online booking is optional; payment is made at reception on the day of the visit.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The ground floor of the castle and the lower garden can be visited without great difficulty; the first floor is reached only by stairs, and the upper garden has steps, lawns and slopes. Dogs are admitted on a lead in the gardens only.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The estate has a landing stage for boats on the Meuse.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Museum shop

Vending machine for cold drinks and coffee; souvenirs, books and postcards. Parking for coaches, cars and bicycles; a landing stage for boats. Drones are prohibited, and smoking is forbidden across the whole estate.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The barn and the orangeries can be booked (booking page on the estate's website).

Plan your visit