The Chateau of Resteigne

The chateau is your first geosite on this Famenne-Ardenne Geopark trail. As it stands today, the privately owned chateau is a rectangular construction, parts of which date from the 8th century. Standing on the bank of the Lesse, it is a solid building made from limestone fieldstone extracted from the nearby quarry. The main building and the gate tower in the listed façade date from the end of the 11th century. The chateau was built by the Merode family but in 1668 it passed into the hands of the Hoffschmidt family, made famous by the hermit philosopher Edmond d’Hoffschmidt (1777-1861). The reclusive philanthropist left an indelible mark on the village of Resteigne and its history. You will find references to his charitable works on his tombstone in the cemetery of Resteigne and in the ruins of his hermitage that you will come to further along the trail.