Domain Zorgvliet

The Zorgvliet domain is a 22-hectare large forest and nature area. Anyone wandering around today will find many remnants of a long and tumultuous history. Remains of a castle, a walled garden, the outbuildings, the pond, and the checkered avenue system give you an idea of what it used to be like. In the early 19th century, an existing farm called "Zorgvliet" was converted into a classicist castle at the behest of Baron de Croeser. During WWI and WWII, it was the scene of several significant events. During WWI, the domain was occupied, and the house was inhabited by German soldiers. Most trees were felled for the war efforts. In the adjacent Munkebossen, there was a prison camp.
In 1948, it burned down due to a lightning strike. The remaining (out)buildings were later operated as a restaurant-hotel-bar by Louis van Outryve d’Ydewalle. On August 15, 1970, they served as the backdrop for a birthday party where a romance began that has lasted for 50 years. The buildings were destroyed by two fires in 1982 and 1985, after which the business remained closed.
The 22-hectare domain was purchased by the municipality in 1999 and opened to the public in 2002. A typical checkered avenue system runs through the forest (mixed wood and coniferous trees). At the center lie the remnants of a coach house and stables from the former castle. The central pond and adjacent meadows were restored in 2015. In addition to the ruins of the castle, the domain also has an ice cellar (with bats), a remnant of the old garden wall, the orangery, and a unique pond. To the south, the Zorgvliet domain adjoins the Munkebossen. Zorgvliet is European protected as part of Natura 2000.

Yvan Vandamme