The Castle of Freÿr (French: Château de Freÿr,French pronunciation: [ʃato də fʁɛjʁ] ⓘ) with its gardens in the style of Le Nôtre is located in Wallonia on the left bank of the Meuse, between Waulsort and Dinant (province of Namur, Belgium).
Around 1760 the south wing was pulled down and replaced by a wrought iron gate reminiscent of Jean Lamour's masterpiece in Nancy, closing the inner yard to give the castle its current appearance.
It features many original elements such as the impressive main hall with wall paintings by Frans Snyders and a ceiling covered by Louis XV frescoes, or the chapel with its Regency wooden panelling and its Baroque altar.
The rooms contain the ancient furniture of the Dukes of Beaufort-Spontin as well as traces of history left by royal guests (Louis XIV of France, Archduchess Maria-Christina, fifth child (and third to reach adult age) of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, King Stanislas I), and the living memory of 20 generations, among which is a delightful children's coach (18th century) that won the first prize at Paris World Exhibition (1889).
Designed in the style of André Le Nôtre in 1760 by Canon Guillaume de Beaufort-Spontin and enlarged by his brother Philippe in 1770, the gardens are set on walled terraces on the left bank of the Meuse.
The upper level is covered by hedge mazes (6 km) that unveil their mysteries one by one: a set of patterns inspired by card game figures, a theme also present in the terra cotta statues made by Cyfflé.