Chimay Castle

Chimay castle stands on a rock above the Eau Blanche at the edge of the town and has belonged to the same family since the fifteenth century, rebuilt several times and substantially after a fire in 1935. Its most unusual room is the theatre: a small gilded auditorium of 1863 modelled on the one at Fontainebleau, built for Marie de Caraman-Chimay and still used for concerts, seating a few hundred. The interiors also hold portraits and furniture connected with Madame Tallien, a figure of the French revolutionary period who became Princess of Chimay. The town below is the centre of a region known for Trappist beer and cheese made at the abbey of Scourmont a few kilometres away, with a visitor centre there.

History

The town of Chimay is recorded in the 11th century, and a deed of 1065-1070 names Gauthier de Chimay, whose family settled on the promontory above the crossing of the Eau Blanche; some documents suggest a stronghold here around 1000. The Chimay line seems to have died out in 1226 and the counts of Soissons held the land until 1317, in the 15th century five new towers were linked to the keep, and after centuries of war and pillage a fire in 1935 destroyed much of the castle and its art, which the princely family has been rebuilding since (Wikipedia, Chimay Castle).

What to look for

• The 1863 private theatre - a gilded auditorium modelled on Fontainebleau.
• Family portraits and furniture - six centuries in one house.
• The rock position above the Eau Blanche - the castle over the river.
• Chimay beer and cheese nearby - the Trappist abbey a few kilometres south.

When to go

April to October; opening is seasonal with guided tours at set times. Two hours. Concerts are held in the theatre through the year. Check the tour schedule before travelling.

Before you go

Access is by guided tour only, at set times, in French. Much of the interior is post-1935 reconstruction. The abbey itself is enclosed and only the visitor centre is open. Public transport to Chimay is slow.

Nearby

Scourmont abbey and its visitor centre are south; the Eau d'Heure lakes lie north.

Key facts