Château de la Poste in Belgium, for your upscale weekend break in nature
Actually you go to Château de la Poste in the Ardennes for an overnight stay with all the trimmings. If that's not an option, at least pop in for a snack in the morning when the light is at its best. Less than an hour from Brussels and twenty minutes from Namur (the capital of Wallonia) you will find the castle dating from 1886 in the middle of its own nature reserve of no less than 42 hectares.
The atmosphere is authentic, the bathrooms (with beautiful green tiles above the bath) luxurious and the bedroom itself wonderful. And the road there alone is stunning, no matter which way you come: you drive past fields full of flowers, gigantic trees and very charming villages. The restaurant serves good dishes from the region, without any fuss, you can choose your own wine in the catacombs of the old building (although that may be a bit intense for breakfast. Champagne is of course possible).
If you stay overnight, the castle is a treat, but the Loft Cubes, aka futuristic, detached bedrooms between the centuries-old trees around the castle, are fantastic! The communal areas are an eclectic mix of classical architecture and modern interior design – a few hours with a good book in front of the fireplace is no punishment. During the summer, the terrace is a popular spot for… well, for anyone who isn't, actually.