Gaasbeek Castle sits enthroned amidst the rolling hills of Pajottenland just outside Brussels. The medieval castle has had an eventful history, evolving from a strategic stronghold to a spacious country house. The Count of Egmont (1522-68) was one of its most celebrated owners, but it was the eccentric Marquise Arconati Visconti (1840-1923) who set about remodelling the building in the romantic style we see today. She turned the inside of the castle into a museum to house her huge art collection, displaying it in historical stage sets. There is still something of a time machine about the dream castle she created. Visitors wander through historicizing interiors filled with tapestries, paintings, furniture, sculptures and other valuable objects. The castle also houses a library and an archive (both accessible by arrangement), a museum shop and a regional visitors’ centre.
