The history of the castle and its grounds dates back to the 16th century and has included various distinguished occupants. In the large entrance hall we find the well-known Plantin family motto above the fireplace:

“Labore et Constantia”

The castle was renovated between 1927 and 1928 by Philippe Moretus de Bouchout, whose coat of arms is to be found on the façade together with that of Countess Legrelle.

In 1986 the castle was bought and restored by the Jan Onzea family, a printer’s family from Borgerhout. On 4th December of that year it was opened as a restaurant with Bert Onzea as the manager.

Kasteel Fruithof is no longer a blot on the landscape of Boechout.

From its opening in December 1986 this stately building, with its unique location in a green open space on the edge of the metropolis, has been a centre where a wide range of customers find what they are looking for.

Those who love to dine well, those attending a conference who wish for good results achieved in a peaceful atmosphere, families with something to celebrate and who appreciate a child-friendly environment and, since May 1998, a bistro, De Jongste Telg, in the castle’s former coach house.

During the summer, when the weather is nice, you can drink your aperitif and coffee on the terrace, enjoying the peace of the beautiful park with its centuries-old trees and the wonderful view of the unique lake.

Nor have the muses been neglected over the years. For twelve seasons the aperitif concerts on a Sunday morning grew into a musical feast appreciated far beyond the boundaries of Boechout. The combination of morning music and an appropriate meal was a huge success. For twelve years this was organized by Kasteel Fruithof itself with father Onzea as the driving force and sister Marleen responsible for the PR. After the death of the former in September 1999, Bert and sister Marleen decided to bring this concert tradition to an end. Two years later the thread was picked up again by the Culture Committee of the Davidsfonds of Boechout and the tradition continued with equal enthusiasm. The beautiful location and the high standard of the musicians remain the same. There is only one difference, four concerts each year instead of six.

Art has always been important at Kasteel Fruithof. Sculptors, painters, photographers, over the years there have constantly been permanent exhibitions to be admired at the castle.

And we must not forget that the green park area of Kasteel Fruithof has been the setting for ‘Buiten-Beelden-Boechout’ a number of times, in collaboration with the Culture Committee of Boechout and the ‘Let’s Find’ gallery.

https://www.kasteelfruithof.be/english/