The Château du Saulchoy in Soignies can be hired for seminars, product launches, gala evenings, weddings and family parties. It seats up to 80 guests indoors, and marquees or tents can be set up in the 3-hectare park for larger events. The kitchen is free of any exclusive caterer, which lets an organiser bring the supplier of their choice.
Seminars and company events
The owners offer the château to companies for seminars, product launches and gala evenings. The setting is a medieval-style house with a monumental fireplace, wooden beams, suits of armor and period paintings. Groups have access from the day before the event until the day after, so setup and breakdown do not have to happen on the day itself. There is no curfew, except for outdoor music. The reception rooms are furnished, and the professional kitchen can be used by the caterer of the client's choice or by the client. A partner list of caterer, florist and wine merchant is available on request.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the other main use. Couples can marry beneath the site's plane tree, which the owners describe as the largest in Belgium with a trunk circumference of 11 meters, or inside the château's hall. Birthdays, baptisms and communions are also hosted. The site is a family home rather than a standard reception venue, and visits before booking are encouraged.
Rooms and capacities
The official pages speak of reception rooms with their furniture, used as one indoor space of up to 80 seated guests. The offer is organised by group size: 1 to 40, 40 to 50, 50 to 60, 60 to 70 and 70 to 80 people. Each event receives a tailored offer that depends on the length of the hire, the layout and, where needed, the installation of a tent or gazebo. For a larger crowd, the park accepts marquees and gazebos, and gazebos can also be set up in the courtyard.
Catering
The kitchen is professional and free of caterer and brewer. Organisers can hire any provider, cook the meal themselves or choose from the owners' partner list. This is useful for corporate dinners with specific requirements or for weddings with a family caterer.
History and setting
The château was started in 1958 by Raymond Thirionet and built stone by stone over more than 20 years by the family. The builders reused architectural elements from the Hôtel Cartier in Marchienne-au-Pont, the Château de Seraing-le-Château and the town hall of Soignies. Additions in the 1970s and 1980s gave each of the three sons and their families a wing. Michel and Vincent Thirionet and their wives now run the house. The name refers to the willows and a small stream that once ran near the plot. The 3-hectare park surrounds the building.
Getting there
The château is at Chemin du Cornet 70 in Soignies, in Hainaut. The official pages do not describe rail or airport access, so ask the owners when you send a request.
