Chateau la Forge

Érezée, Belgium, Belgium

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Château de la Forge (often called “Château la Forge”) is a historic 15th‑century fortified manor later expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries, located in the village of Chanly, part of the municipality of Wellin, a few kilometres from Érezée in the Ardennes of the Namur province of Belgium.

It was originally built as a small house for the family of Chèze, who were masters of nearby iron forges, and later became the main residence of a lineage of “iron barons” (ijzerbaronnen) who built up fortune in the local iron industry and even obtained noble status, making the château a symbol of the region’s industrial past.

The estate once included a working forge, a fromagerie (dairy), vineyards, tobacco plantations and a productive domain of more than 400 hectares, with extensive fields, forests and a network of canals and underground tunnels that still survive in parts as silent witnesses of this industrious history.

In 1951 the château was acquired by the non‑profit association “De Vooruitziende Vrouw” and used for children’s holidays and camps, while from the late 1990s it was bought by private owners who have gradually restored and renovated the building, bringing it back to a high standard and opening it up as a luxury holiday house, guesthouse and venue for events.