Harzé Castle

Aywaille, Belgium, Belgium

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Harzé Castle (Château de Harzé) is a noble castle in the village of Harzé, part of the municipality of Aywaille in the province of Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, now used as a hotel, restaurant, conference centre and wedding venue and also home to the Museum of Milling and Baking.

Its origins date to the 14th century, when the de Clermont family built a first fortified house on the site, but the building was substantially transformed in the 16th and 17th centuries, especially under Ernest van Suys de Linden in the 1630s, to give it its present appearance as a homogeneous limestone structure in the Maasland (Mosan) Renaissance style.

The castle is distinguished by its round corner towers, a massive square donjon, a prominent balcony and bay window, and a rare arcaded gallery with Tuscan columns and full‑round arches, set within a large landscaped park that includes a heritage‑listed fountain and quiet gardens.

During the Second World War, from October 1944, the castle served as the headquarters of the US XVIII Airborne Corps under Major General Matthew Ridgway, playing a key role in the Battle of the Bulge and hosting meetings between General Ridgway and General Eisenhower, and since 1965 it has been protected as a listed monument before being acquired and adapted for contemporary heritage tourism and events.