2 Best Sights in Ath, Western Wallonia

Many call it "the Versailles of Belgium," and while the building and grounds of Beloeil perhaps aren't the match of France's famous palace, they are nonetheless defiantly grand. The site has belonged to the Princes de Ligne since the 14th century, and a castle has stood here all that time. It is a "castle" in name only, though. This is more a neoclassical French-style château, the kind that became common in the 17th and 18th centuries, as Belgium moved away from its medieval pragmatism. Fine collections of antiques, furniture, and a 20,000-strong library recall its long heritage, though a fire in 1900 sapped the interior of much of its impact. 

This pretty château lies 6 km (4 miles) southeast of Ath. It was built in 1752 by François-Philippe Franeau d’Hyon atop the ruins of an older castle and possesses all the neoclassical ambitions of that era, with a fleet of Rococo-style rooms. In the late 18th century, its grounds were popular with hunting parties, and the remains of an artificial "mound" (known as the Rocher) used for sighting deer survives. The surrounding parkland makes for a pleasant stroll.