Kasteel d’Aspremont - Lynden

Rustig, mooi en gezellig ?

Mooi en geweldige plek om te bezoeken

Zeer mooi kasteel, waarvan de directeurswoning, nog steeds word bewoond, ligt in het tot ooit verkozen " mooiste dorp van Vlaanderen ", Rekem, is er een zeer mooie, en leerrijke omgeving

Former castell and later used has an asylum, it is sad to observe the level of degradation that such amazing building has fallen into. I believe it is now only used as an exhibition hall, but it lacks the basic conditions one would expect such a space to have. It even feels dangerous to walk in some parts, although I think (or rather hope) someone actually cared about doing an structural stability study before sending people in. But there's a reason why I'm giving this place 5 stars, and that's because of the scenery we see ourselves diving into... It is hard to imagine this place ever being used as an asylum due to the lack of references, and even less as a castell except for the exterior appearance. But somehow I've felt captivated to get into and explore each of the rooms. The level of degradation and the natural lightning have created the most photogenic and interesting spaces and I've felt I've wanted to shoot pictures almost everywhere my eyes looked at. But the interior staircase is the real show stopper. The tough metal work, definitely from the asylum years, feels at the same time out of place in an old castell, and perfectly integrated with the degraded industrialised vibe we feel... The downside of it all, with such an absorbing building, I have to recognize I've paid little to no attention to the exhibition itself... An modern exhibition space is, most of the times, a "blank" space where artistic works are displayed and where the grandeur (or not) of the building plays a secondary roll. In this case, the building gets the central stage and it is hard to imagine an exhibition that can even compete... Maybe that's a challenge for the future...