The Villa Servais, which stands on a low hill above Halle, looks like it belongs in Italy.
The neoclassical villa decorated with pale yellow walls and symbolic reliefs was built in 1847 by Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar (architect of the Galeries Saint-Hubert in Brussels). The original owner was the acclaimed Belgian cellist and composer François Servais.
The villa was abandoned in the 1980s. It might have been lost forever. But two local art lovers, Maud Leschevin and Geert De Poorter, came up with a bold plan in 2016. They bought the crumbling villa and lovingly restored it over five years.
Villa Servais reopened in 2022 as a unique B&B and concert venue with eight guest rooms decorated in period style, along with an elegant tea room and a concert room.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.