Seneffe: castle and canal

The Domaine de Seneffe includes a neoclassical castle of the eighteenth century with, among other things, an English park of 22 hectares and a French garden. The beautiful park and gardens can be visited daily throughout the year and admission is free. The castle also houses the finest collection of goldsmiths in Belgium. You get there by following the brown signs with Seneffe and a castle symbol from the center of Seneffe. There is spacious parking and the estate alone is definitely worth a visit. • We first propose a long walk in the region: departure at the entrance of the Domaine de Seneffe (V). Leave with your back to the entrance on the left along the fence and exterior wall, then between the outer wall and the parking lot, alternating on gravel and grass to the paved track. Go left here, still along the outer wall of the estate. The landscape on the right is a relief, calm and green.• After more than 600 meters, walk right at the first intersection, then at the T-junction on the left. At the next intersection, turn right onto Rue de la Bête Refaite. On the left is a typical chapel (1). After 450 meters, at the end of the forest at the sign 'Hydrological studies', turn left on a narrow path at the edge of the forest. (Here is about 30 meters under your feet the Godarville Tunnel, a 1,050-meter-long navigation tunnel on the former CharleroiBruxelles canal.) After 250 meters, leave the forest on the left on a narrow path between the fields. The path is wider, but therefore not even more passable. On the asphalt track, turn right and 40 meters further left on a paved track. At the junction is the Sainte-Hermelle chapel (2). The views are very wide with quite a few power lines and a wind farm on the left in the distance.• After almost a mile at an intersection of country roads, walk left and after more than a mile on the asphalt track, to the right, then immediately to the left. On the right is a water tower (3). Ignore successively a small street on the left, an exit on the right and another side street on the left and go straight down the rue du Sart. Continue right for 300 meters into rue Etienne Philippe. Ignore a right turn, turn left 100 meters further and cross Rosseignis Street. Continue straight on Rue de Renissart, direction Seneffe. In the open landscape looms the impressive silhouette of the Ferme de Renissart, beautiful old farmhouse (4) and former priory of the abbey of Ninove. • Ignore Rue de Froidmont on the right and Rue de Profondrieux and Rue de la Noire Bouteille on the left and continue walking on Rue de Renissart. This finally takes you to the old Charleroi-Brussels canal. Cross the canal and walk left onto Rue du Canal and onto the towpath. After 350 meters, you will arrive at the remains of an airlock (5) and the associated sashuis (Lock no. 16). The river to the right of the towpath is the Samme, which runs parallel to the old canal to the inclined plane of Ronquières and the current Charleroi-Brussels canal. On the water you will see many water lilies, moorhens and several species of dragonflies.• After a kilometer you arrive at the remains of another airlock (6), Lock No. 15, and you already have a beautiful view of Seneffe and the church of Saint Cyr and Julitte. Stay on the towpath, even when entering the buildings. A little further on, you have the library and the Canal Observatory on the right and the canal disappears underground. Cross a fence, cross the street and continue to the right and along the water. Here too you will still find remnants of the old navigation infrastructure on the old canal. Where the water rises underground, you walk to the left in a beautiful wide, straight lane with three rows of trees on either side. The journey takes you back after 750 meters to the entrance of the castle of Seneffe. I hope you still fancy a walk through the beautiful gardens of the estate. It's worth it.