Domein Coloma, Public park in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium
Domein Coloma is a park and castle estate in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. Its main building, the Castle of Coloma, is a pale tan brick and grey stone structure with a slate roof, a square brick tower, a round corner turret, and an arched wooden double door. A moat runs along its base, and the grounds include a 15-hectare rose garden.
The castle served as the seat of Leeuw in the 16th century. In the mid-18th century, Charles-Vital de Coloma, through his marriage to Baroness Eugenia Roose, had the fortified stronghold rebuilt as an 18th-century castle, keeping the water around it. The family held the estate until Countess Antoinette's death in 1947; the municipality bought the dilapidated castle in 1984 and restored it as a cultural centre.
The castle houses the municipal cultural centre after its restoration, and the former garden pavilion serves as a rose museum explaining the history and cultivation of roses. The tavern "De Koetsier" occupies a building used as a coach house in 1731. The rose garden's red-and-white section reproduces the coat of arms of the Roose family, former owners of Coloma.
The estate is owned by the Flemish Community and managed by the Agency for Nature and Forests. The rose garden covers 15 hectares and is divided into seven sections, so allow time to walk between them. The castle houses the municipal cultural centre, and the coach house of 1731 now serves as the tavern "De Koetsier".
The rose garden covers 15 hectares and holds over 3,000 varieties from 25 countries, making it the largest in Europe. It was laid out from the 1990s on the idea of Marcel Vossen of the Agency for Nature and Forests, with growers such as Louis Lens and ILVO in Melle supplying plants. The garden is divided into seven parts, including a red-and-white section of 1995 whose colours mirror the arms of the Roose family, former owners of the castle.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,460 contributors worldwide.