Loppem Castle

Loppem Castle, locally known as Kasteel van Loppem, lies east of the town with the same name, in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish region in Belgium.

Loppem Castle may look old but it really isn't. It was in fact built between 1858 and 1862 by Baron Charles van Caloen and his wife, Countess Savina de Gourcy van Caloen. It replaced an earlier 18th century mansion. It was designed by the architects Edward Welby Pugin and Jean-Baptiste de Béthune, the latter giving it its Flemish Gothic Revival appearance.

At the end of World War I, the Belgian King Albert I and his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria resided in Loppem Castle for about a month. The king held some important political meetings in the castle.

The last inhabitant of Loppem Castle was Baron Jean van Caloen. In 1952 he founded a foundation that became owner of the castle and its domain in 1952.

At present Loppem Castle is a museum and it can be visited for a fee. A nice castle, I like the geometrical lines of its architecture.

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