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 isn't. It was actually 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. The castle was designed by architects Edward Welby Pugin and Jean-Baptiste de Béthune, with the latter giving it its Flemish Gothic Revival style.

After World War I, Belgian King Albert I and his wife, Elisabeth of Bavaria, stayed at Loppem Castle for about a month, during which the king held several important political meetings.

The last resident of the castle was Baron Jean van Caloen. In 1952, he established a foundation that became the owner of the castle and its grounds.

Today, Loppem Castle is a museum open to visitors for a fee. It's a beautiful castle, and I like its geometric architecture.

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