Château de Modave and ‘Le Vieux Huy’

A beautiful 17th century ‘château’ on a rocky peak with richly decorated and furnished rooms and a small town with a historic core characterized by cobbled streets and rubble stone walls.

The town of Huy, located at the confluence of the rivers Meuse and Hoyoux, is dominated by its fortress perched high on the rocks.

Nearby, on another rocky outcrop 60 meters above the valley of the Hoyoux river, the castle of Modave offers a magnificent view over the valley below and the wooded landscape of the Condroz beyond.

The castle owes its current appearance to 17th century restorations and renovations of a medieval castle. At the same time, the French gardens were laid out.
The house has about twenty richly decorated and furnished rooms.

In one of them a curiosity can be seen: the hydraulic wheel, which supplied the castle with drinking water. (It also served as the model for Marly’s famous machine that pushed the water from the river Seine up to the gardens of Versailles.)

After a tour of the castle and gardens, we drive about 15 km to restaurant l’Atmosphère, avenue du Bosquet 35D, near the centre of Huy, for a two-course lunch with drink and coffee/tea. Vegetarians please notify at registration.

The restaurant is located on the banks of the Meuse and offers a panoramic view over the river.

After lunch, at 2.30 pm, we are expected at the 16th C guest house d’Oultremont, which nowadays houses the tourist office. Guides welcome us there for a city walk.

As far back as the Middle Ages, the region had a thriving metal industry and the copper foundries attracted the greatest artists of their time. The result can still be seen all over the city, including in the Church of Our Lady and Saint Domitian or “La Collégiale”.

Along the narrow cobbled streets, “Le Vieux Huy” has several interesting buildings from the 13th to 16th centuries. In the market square and surrounding streets, we also discover some richly decorated houses that testify to the prosperity of the city during the industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries.

At the end of the guided tour, it will still be possible to visit the nearby Municipal Museum (Rue Vankeerberghen, 20) where archaeological finds and the works of local artists are exhibited. Open till 5:30 pm

How to get there:

E 411 and E2 exit 8 (Huy)
E40 exit 28 (Landen) to Huy

Further instructions for car parking in the center of Huy will be sent to registered participants.

Addresses:

Castle of Modave: 4577 Modave, Rue du Parc 4
Restaurant: 4500 Huy, Avenue du Bosquet 35D