Kasteel d'Aertrycke hosts seminars, company parties, receptions and weddings for up to 250 guests, in ten named rooms spread over two floors of a neo-Gothic castle and a 55-hectare park with ponds. The castle stands at Zeeweg 42 in Torhout, in West Flanders, and belongs to the Eccellenza group of event venues.
Seminars and company events
The castle sells company events, seminars and team building, either as packages or as a program built to order. Zaal Heyst, on the upper floor, is the room set aside for seminars and general meetings, and it can be split into breakout rooms. The main event hall has audiovisual equipment and Wi-Fi, and the smaller salons serve for meetings in a tighter group. Each room can be set theatre style or in a U-shape, depending on the program. The park is available for outdoor receptions and activities between sessions. A B2B brochure with the details of the business offer is available on the venue's website.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are a core part of the offer, for up to 250 guests. The castle has its own chapel, and through a partnership with rent-a-priest the ceremony can be led by a priest on site. On the ground floor, Zaal August de Maere, Zaal Coralie Limnander and Zaal Joseph Schadde open into one space for the dinner, and the lit boathouse by the pond is used for the first dance. The venue works with preferred partners for the DJ, photography and video. It also hosts communions, baby showers, funeral meals and end-of-year parties.
Rooms and capacities
The ground floor holds Zaal August de Maere, Zaal Coralie Limnander, Zaal Joseph Schadde, De Lounge and Salon Louis Fuchs. The upper floor holds Zaal Heyst, De Kasteelkapel, Zaal Moubeke, Zaal Lonnecker and Zaal Fleur de Bruyère. The website gives 250 guests as the wedding maximum but no capacity per room. A floor plan can be downloaded from the venue's site; ask for figures per layout when you send your brief.
Catering
Food is part of the venue's own offer. The castle publishes a festive menu for celebrations, a seasonal yearly menu and the Baron De Maere menu, which is served to the public on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. For company events, the team adapts the food to the program and to dietary preferences.
Accommodation
The website lists no bedrooms at the castle. Guests stay in hotels in Torhout or in nearby Bruges.
History and setting
The castle was built in 1869 to designs by the architect Joseph Schadde, in the Gothic Revival style, and it is a protected monument in Flanders. Several rooms carry the names of people linked to its history, among them Schadde himself and the de Maere and Limnander families. Inside, the castle keeps its original interiors, a wooden staircase and painted murals that give the rooms their neo-Gothic character. Outside, the 55-hectare park with its ponds offers space for receptions, photographs and walks.
Getting there
The castle is on Zeeweg in Torhout, about 20 km south of Bruges. Torhout has a railway station on the line between Bruges and Kortrijk, and Brussels Airport is the main international airport for the region, with Ostend-Bruges airport closer by.
