Castle Gaasbeek
Fruit walls of Gaasbeek Castle display renowned past
Fruit walls in the historic Museum Garden of Gaasbeek Castle exude the atmosphere from the heyday of espalier fruit cultivation. From the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, the Belgians mastered the cultivation of trained fruit trees like no other country. Their craftsmanship was renowned in the world.
Espalier Trained Fruit Trees
Today, the Museum Garden of Gaasbeek Castle houses one of the largest and most extensive collections of espalier trained fruit trees. Their showpieces include a berceau, a straight fruit wall with a series of circular palmettes and many others.
Admittedly, trees are not as old as in Le Potager (Versailles), but they are in perfect condition and honour ancient skills like nowwhere else. It shows this garden is maintained by people with great devotion, timeless effort and specialist know-how. Just like in the old days. Every tree is properly labeled with a cultivar name and pruned with meticulous attention. Information panels provide anecdotes and interesting facts, about cultivation practices, former arboriculturists, cultivar properties, etc. Straight boxwood hedges and Corten steel edges appeal to the formal character of the trained fruit trees.
In the Museum Garden (1.5 hectares) of Gaasbeek Castle you can also view:
- orangery
- berry fruits
- nut trees
- mixed vegetable garden / flower garden
- mushroom farm
- orchard (including short-cone trees and standard trees of 60 plum varieties!)
Address
Museum Garden of Gaasbeek Castle
Kasteelstraat 40
1750 Lennik (near Brussels)
Belgium
Opening Hours & Admission Prices
You can visit the Museum Garden of Gaasbeek Castle on your own. A free guided tour (1,5 hours) is included, but does require reservation.
Individuals can attend a guided tour on a Sunday.
For groups of 10 people or more, a guided tour on working days can be arranged.
Consult the website of Musuem Garden Gaasbeek Castle for up-to-date information.
Tips for Visitors
Combine your visit to the Museum Garden with a visit to Gaasbeek Castle (with museum) and a walk through the surrounding park . The English landscape garden (50 hectares of forest) dates back to the 17th century. Scattered in the forest you will come across several historical outbuildings.
