Château de Beloeil

When i was i Brussels in Summer 2008 i also made an Visit to Beloeil where i visited the Château the Residence of the Princely Family of Ligne. They have many connections to the Euopean Royal houses as the present Prince is married to HI & RH Princess Eleonore of Brazil and his mother Alixis a born Princess of Luxemburg, sister of the former Grand Duke Jean. And an aunt of the present Prince, Princess Yolanda was married to the late Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria, one of the sons of the last Emperor of Austria Karl I.
The Château was erected during the 15th Century when the Family de Ligne made it's definitive move to Beloeil. It hten evolved from a monison to a frotress and finally to a Country House. A fire in 1900 destroyed the Château but not the 2 Side Wings before the Courtyard. The Château was then rebuild in 1906. The French-style Gardens go back to the 17th Century.

View from the Castle on the Lake
and the Neptun Fountain

The mirrors

The ladies pond

The Neptune's statue

Finally a solution for the future of Salem Castle

Finally the Government of Baden-Württemberg and the Grad Ducal family of Baden have found an agreement about the future of Salem Castle. The Country Baden-Württemberg will buy Salem and pay for it and other things 60 Millions € at the Family of Baden. The part of the Castle where Margrave Max and Margravine Valerie of Baden will not be sold. The Family of Baden will also sell art reasures and rennounce all possible rights on art treasures where the ownership ist not clear. Here are the details: 19,8 Mio. € for the site 17 Mio. € for the art treasures 6 Mio. € for the socalled Prälatur (without the part where the Margrave is living) 15 Mio. € for the assignement of claims on art treasures 4,5 Mio. € maintenance of the roof.
Originally Salem was not a Castle it was a Cistercienser Monastery. In 1804 the Monastery was given to the Grand Duke's of Badfen and became then a castle. Since the end of the Monarchy in 1918 it is the Residence of the Family and since 1928 the head of the family lives there. Since 1920 it also houses the boarding scholl Internat Salem which was founded by prince Max and Kurt Hahn.

Statue of Prince Wilhelm of Baden



One of the 3 Inner-Courts of the Castle




The Lower Gate

The Rentamt

Solitude Castle

Solitude Castle was build from 1763 -1769 for Duke Carl Eugen of Württemberg who used it for Huntings and for big Balls. But soon after it was finished in 1769 the Duke lost the Interset at the Castle and didn't use it very much afterwards. Today the Castle istself can be visited and in one of the Sidewings there is the Acadamey Schloss Solitude.

View over Stuttgart

There was a 14 miles long straight street
which cnonnected the CAstle with the Castle in Ludwigsburg the
Main-Reisdence of Duke Carl Eugen