Laura et Seb, les Globe blogueurs
Member for 5 years 2 months
The globes blogueurs
Slow travel with the family
A family treasure hunt in Vêves Castle
2 hours of enchantement
If you’re looking for Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, the one you know from the fairy tales your parents used read to you as a child, then head for the village of Celles, in the Province of Namur. There, the pointy pepper pot towers of the Vêves Castle will show you the way to an enchanting world.
Prelude in the village of Celles
Before exploring every nook and cranny of Vêves Castle we decide to take the time to wander through the flowered streets of the village of Celles, listed as one of the “Most Beautiful villages in Wallonia”.
We have a lovely time discovering the warren of houses in grey limestone that are typical of the Ardennes. We visit a few buildings such as the Saint-Hadelin Romanesque church, which is part of the Open Churches network. Then we ascend the beautiful Stations of the Cross taking us up to the Hermitage. This is where Saint Hadelin used to live. Saint Hadelin is famous for performing several miracles, thus turning the village into a place of pilgrimage. From up here we take the time to enjoy stunning, unobstructed views of the village. By now we are quite ravenous with hunger, and we decide to sate our appetite in a fabulous restaurant nearby the village square, called Le Saint Hadelin (after the eponymous Saint). The food is refined, the portions generous and the service impeccable, so it really is the perfect place for a family meal. Our top tip for foodies (such as ourselves): go and take a look at the patisserie nearby. It offers a wide variety of delicious sweet treats. It took us ages to choose which one would accompany us on our trip to the Vêves Castle.
Celles, the most beautiful village in Wallonie, seen from Saint-Hadelin's hermitage - L. Le Guen
He is so proud to be dressed up as a knight !
Becoming a dauntless and irreproachable knight
Perched upon a rocky hill, Vêves Castle dominates its surroundings. This pentagonal castle is flanked by 5 elegant pepper pot towers. Once we’ve nabbed our tickets, our son races off to run about on the huge lawn that slopes upwards until the castle doors. Our 4-year-old bundle of joy is jumping with excitement. Fact is, knights are his all-time favourite characters (for the moment)…And he heard someone say that he could become a knight for the visit, as children are lent costumes at the entrance. He immediately spots their whereabouts and hurriedly dons his tunic, hood and great helm. Of course, he remembers to grab hold of his shield and a mighty sword. He is glowing with pride to be dressed up in his knight's garb. He takes his role very seriously and decides that he, and he alone, will be responsible for our safety throughout the whole visit. As soon as we enter the large inner courtyard, he decides to stride ahead of our merry band. Well, you never know, a fierce dragon might very well be lurking behind the castle doors…
Arriving at Vêves Castle- L. Le Guen
Fun visit through the castle
We’re in luck: a fun visit to the castle is held on the day of our visit. We decide to join the company of wannabe knights and aspiring princesses practising their crossbow skills. Our knee-high protector wants to show off his dexterity. But, his arrows lands, not once, but twice in the huge family tree, missing the target by a furlong (give or take). This triggers an infectious bout of laughter among the children and the instructor. Our guide, Tamara, is also wearing medieval garb, and in her company we visit the different drawing rooms. She narrates the castle's history in a spellbinding fashion, weaving a web of fantasy as she speaks. The children are immersed in the world of fairytales, and among others that of Sleeping Beauty, who can be seen sleeping in her bedroom!
Tamara adroitly draws our attention to details, quizzes the children and sets them challenges. She even reveals some of the castle’s secrets with a touch of humour.
Crossbow practice! - L. Le Guen
Where everything elicits enchantment and curiosity
By doing this she manages to capture their attention so they effortlessly absorb facts and information about life during the Middle Ages. Our son is hanging on her every word and soaks everything about this interactive and fun visit up like a sponge. He is amused by the latrines, medieval toilets, dating back to the Middle Ages whose content was used to fertilise the fields and is surprised to learn the origin of the French word “copain”. Several days later, while visiting a different castle, we are happy to find that he has committed these newly acquired facts to memory. A discovery that was as captivating as it was educational!
Treasure hunt, the search for the Holy Grail
At the end of this fun-packed visit, our little knight in shining armour decides it’s time to change his costume and set off for the treasure hunt organized by the castle. He marvels at the wealth of different outfits, he is spoilt for choice. I start to suspect he might want to acquire a whole new wardrobe. Having donned his new chasuble, he immediately sets off to find – with a little help from us – the Holy Grail. Eleven riddles lead us to explore every nook and cranny of the castle, inside and out. While walking round the castle, our knight finds his very first treasure, juicy blackberries that he bolts down on the spot.
The treasure hunt continues inside Vêves Castle - L. Le Guen
They momentarily distract him from his initial mission, but savouring the moment is part of the fun! We, on the other hand, are a tad more diligent.
Each question manages to draw our attention to details that would otherwise have escaped us.
An architectural detail, a fragment of illumination (in the sense of a medieval text decoration), a narrow staircase, everything elicits enchantment and curiosity. Step by step, our determination helps us find all the answers we need, essential to obtain the last, crucial element from reception. And this is how we found the nook where the Holy Grail was hidden, but we’re not telling! It would be a shame to reveal this fabulous castle's secrets.
Now it’s up to you to discover them during your visit!
Discover this experience
Château de Vêves
Rue de Furfooz 3, Celles
http://www.chateau-de-veves.be/
Tél: 0032 82 66 63 95
Children are plunged straight into the world of legends and fairytales