CASTLES IEPER

Kasteel du Parc in Ieper stands on Hospitaalstraat in Vlamertinge, West Flanders, with a complex history spanning centuries of reconstruction. Originally destroyed by the Gueux in 1566, it was rebuilt in 1580, burned down in 1700, and replaced with a classicist structure in 1780. The castle was entirely destroyed during World War I and reconstructed in 1924 by architect Stephan Mortier, with its wooded park re-landscaped to its pre-war condition. Located in a picturesque setting featuring a pond and protective walls, the estate has remained in the de Thibault de Boesinghe family's hands since 1718.

Elzenwallekasteel stands along the Kemmelseweg in Voormezele, a sub-municipality of Ieper, West Flanders. Its name derives from the alder shrubs once prevalent in this damp landscape. The original 18th and 19th-century castle was destroyed during World War I, after which architect Ernest Blerot designed a replacement in 1921 that blends Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. Positioned strategically near Ypres during the Great War, the château was alternately occupied by German and Allied forces. Today, Elzenwallekasteel remains a private domain within a wooded park setting and is recognized as a significant cultural heritage site in the region.