Attractions and Places To See in Jongenbos - Top 7

Jongenbos is an estate complex that originally belonged to Jongenbos Castle in Vliermaalroot. It currently consists of 20 ha of castle park, 100 ha of forest, and 180 ha of arable land and pasture. Since 1995, 73 ha of the forest has been designated as a forest reserve. The area is European protected as part of the Natura 2000 area 'Forests and calcareous grasslands of Haspengouw' (BE2200038). @https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jongenbos

Deciduous forest with old oaks and beeches and more recent birch and hornbeam. Here and there a solitary spruce or pine.

The estate's history dates back to 1380. A farm was marked on the Ferraris maps of the late 18th century near the site of the current castle. This was located in the west of a vast forested area called Spissen Bosch. Later, the name Jongen Bosch Veld (Boyfriend Bosch Field) also became popular. The castle, more of a large manor house in neoclassical style, was not shown on the cadastral maps until 1848 and was likely built shortly before that. The accompanying estate was 150 hectares at the time, and this was gradually expanded to 218 hectares in 1938. The castle's architect is unknown. The then owner was Willem Joseph Gerard Van der Meer, a retired man from Tongeren. Originally, the castle was U-shaped, but in 1882, the courtyard was filled in with an extension. The largely white, strictly symmetrical building features a balcony and a clock. The letters VDM (Van der Meer) are incorporated into the clock. Near the building is a coach house and servants' quarters, the depot, which must have been designed by the same architect, a little later than the castle. A carriage shed dates from 1872. The castle farm, at Jongenbos 4, was renovated in 1872 and 1878 and later rebuilt. This farm fell into disrepair. The castle passed through inheritance and marriage to various families: Claes, De Favereau de Fraipont, and De Cartier d’Yves. The descendants of the latter family lived here, after which the castle was put up for sale (2014). In 2015, it became the property of the Appeltans family. @https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasteel_Jongenbos

Almost a thousand years ago, the Count of Loon gave the Jongenbos to a feudal lord, who gave his name to the domain. In the mid-18th century, Baron Van der Meer built the castle on the south side of the forest. The clay for the bricks was extracted on site, because it is barely one meter below the surface. In order to bake the bricks, he had almost all the trees felled. Afterwards, his workers replanted the forest, which is why you no longer find very old trees here. At the end of the last century, the Flemish Region bought the domain and since then it has been steadily expanded.

From the avenue leading to the castle, the white-painted Jongenbos Castle immediately catches the eye. The estate's history dates back to 1380. A farm was drawn near the site of the current castle on the Ferraris maps of the late 18th century. This farm was located in the west of a vast forested area called Spissen Bosch. Later, the name Jongen Bosch Veld (Jonge Bosch Field) also became popular. The castle, more of a large mansion in neoclassical style, was not drawn on the cadastral maps until 1848 and was likely built shortly before that. The castle's architect is unknown. The then-owner was Willem Joseph Gerard Van der Meer, a rentier from Tongeren. The castle passed through inheritance and marriage to various families: Claes, De Favereau de Fraipont, and De Cartier d'Yves. The descendants of the latter family lived there, after which the castle was put up for sale (2014). In 2015, it became the property of the infamous Appeltans family. @https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasteel_Jongenbos

The Jongenbos is located on the transition between Kempen and (humid) Haspengouw and consists mainly of sandy loam soils, with dunes and clay in the stream valleys. In addition to poor pine and hardwood forests, there are oak forests that were planted around 1850, and stream-accompanying forests, particularly in the valley of the Winterbeek, later planted with poplars. When Willem van der Meer had the castle built in 1844-1845, trees from this forest were used for woodwork and fuel and the clay for the bricks for the castle was extracted on site because it is barely one meter deep in the subsoil here. Afterwards, a new forest planting was carried out from 1844-1848. About 70,000 trees would have been planted. Thus the name denjongen bosch arose, after which the lord of the castle would have named his house Château de Jongenbos. Until about 1950, the lord of the castle employed 100 people to maintain the forest. After that, another 30 hectares of the forest were cultivated as arable and pasture land, and the rest was no longer maintained. In 1995 the forest was purchased by the Flemish Community and the forest reserve was established.

Beautiful forest, certainly to do again in the spring and autumn. With the beautiful color pallets at that time of the year