Visitor regulations

Feel the heartbeat of history
Foto van een vrouw die leest in een groot boek op het bed in de slaapkamer van de markiezin
Once upon a castle,  © Steve Tanner

We welcome you to Gaasbeek Castle with open arms! To make your visit to the castle as enjoyable and safe as possible for everyone, we ask you kindly to consider our visitor regulations.

When you enter the castle, the entrance building, courtyard garden and/or park buildings, you agree to the general visitor conditions of Gaasbeek Castle. As a visitor, you are expected to know and abide by the regulations. In the Museum Garden and park grounds, the visitor regulations of the Agency for Nature and Forest apply.

The castle grounds include all of the spaces (built-up and not built-up) that fall under the legal or management remit of the Flemish Community, Separate Management Service Gaasbeek Castle.

1. Access to the castle/museum

Gaasbeek Castle is, in principle, open every day to the public between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. from 1 April through to 31 October, except Mondays, and is also open on national holidays. The last entrance to the castle is at 5 p.m. This schedule may be deviated from. Please check our website for the current opening hours. This is also where you will find current opening hours for the entrance building and park buildings.

2. Tickets, special offers and prices

Gaasbeek Castle adheres to all pricing and other information provided through the castle's website and the information desk. Gaasbeek Castle cannot be held liable for errors due to intent, fault or negligence of third parties.

3. Access to the castle

3.1 The museum rooms are open only to visitors with a valid admission ticket. Visitors can purchase their tickets either through the Gaasbeek Castle website or at the castle's entrance building. Visitors will receive a sticker upon presentation of their admission ticket that will be affixed to their clothing in a highly visible place for the duration of their visit.

3.2 Admission prices and the conditions for discounts on these prices are displayed at the ticket counter and on the Castle website.

3.3 Admission screening will take place at the entrance of the castle, where the (digital or paper) tickets will be scanned by a member of staff.

3.4 Visitors shall keep the admission ticket throughout their visit. At any time, the visitor may be asked to show the admission ticket and sticker, whether or not in combination with a museum pass or any card entitling them to a discount on the price of admission, to the reception staff and/or warders of Gaasbeek Castle.

3.5 If visitors are unable or unwilling to comply with such a request, they may be denied access to the castle, in which case they will not be entitled to a refund.

3.6 Non-access or incomplete access to some rooms will not entitle you to any refund or discount.

4. What not to bring?

It is forbidden to enter the rooms with:
» bags measuring over 34 cm by 22 cm; 
» backpacks; 
» walking sticks whose ends are not protected;
»  umbrellas;
»  objects that pose a risk to the safety of persons, works of art or the buildings;
»  food and drinks;
»  strollers;
»  pets/animals with the exception of official assistance dogs. Dogs on a leash are allowed in the park, not in the courtyard garden.
»  personal folding chairs. Chairs are available from the castle's front desk.
»  photo tripods (unless prior written permission has been obtained from a castle staff member)

This is a non-exhaustive list. It is up to the security guards of the internal Gaasbeek Castle security office to judge whether an object can be brought during the museum visit.

5. Lockers

Lockers are provided inside Gaasbeek Castle. These work with a one-euro coin or a token, available from the reception desk. Gaasbeek Castle disclaims any responsibility in case of loss, theft or damage to any item left in the lockers or reception area.

6. Access to the courtyard garden

6.1 The courtyard garden is free to enter, so no admission ticket is required for this. Dogs are not allowed, even on a leash. It is not allowed to have picnics in the courtyard garden; for this, please go to the picnic meadow in the park, next to St. Gertrudis Pond.

6.2 The presence of drones is prohibited both in the courtyard garden and around the castle.

7.  Visitor behaviour

7.1 During the visit, visitors are expected to adopt an attitude consistent with public order and morality. Visitors are urged to immediately follow the directions and instructions of the authorised personnel.

7.2 In the museum it is forbidden, among other things:

» to get too close to works of art (minimum distance 60 cm), to touch objects, to point with a sharp object, to lean against or touch the walls, wall panelling, panelling, doors, ... to run, push, slide or climb and sit on the historical benches/chairs; 
» to take pictures with flash or on tripod;
»  to disturb other visitors by shouting, disruptive mobile phone use or excessive noise;
»  to intentionally obstruct other visitors and create an obstruction in the passageways and on the stairs;
»  to trade, advertise, spread propaganda or recruit;
»  to smoke, eat or drink.

8. Children's access

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Parents and supervisors are responsible for the behaviour of those they supervise.

9. Photo, film and sound recordings

9.1 No permission is required for short photo and film shoots, as long as they are intended for non-commercial private purposes. These recordings must be realised without the use of tools (tripods, additional lighting, flash, selfie sticks, drones, ...), without any staging (extras, models, scenery, ...) and without the involvement of visitors and/or staff.

Permission is required for all other photo and film shoots.

9.2 It is possible that visitors may be photographed or filmed during their museum visit. These recordings can be used in Gaasbeek Castle communications. Visitors who object to this are asked to immediately communicate this to the photographer or camera man.

10. Safety, prevention and evacuation

10.1 For security reasons, the security officers of the internal security office of Gaasbeek Castle may require visitors to open their bags and backpacks and show the contents and/or superficially touch their clothing.

10.2 In the event of anything unlawful or irregular happening, access to the castle will be denied. This means that visitors will remain in the courtyard garden or castle until designated authorities have arrived.

10.3 In the event of fire alarm and evacuation, the instructions of Gaasbeek Castle staff or firefighters must be strictly followed. When you hear the evacuation alarm, we urge you to make your way to the nearest emergency exit and gather at the fountain in the courtyard garden. Supervisors of groups shall ensure that all persons in the group have left the building and shall check at the assembly point that everyone in the group is present.

10.4 In case of excessive crowds, disturbances or natural conditions, which may endanger the safety of persons or property, it may be decided to close the museum partially or completely or to change its opening hours.

11. Complaints

11.1 We welcome all your feedback, suggestions and complaints. As a visitor, you can communicate any complaints or suggestions you may have in writing, using the complaint form, which is available from the reception desk in the entrance building or in the castle. Complaints can also be submitted via e-mail to kasteelvangaasbeek@vlaanderen.be for the attention of the communication manager.

»     Written notice of receipt, either by letter or e-mail, will be issued no later than ten calendar days after submission of such form.
»     Upon receipt of a complaint, the complaint handler has 45 calendar days to address the complaint. Please keep in mind that anonymous complaints cannot be handled.

11.2 Complaints relating to Gaasbeek Castle's internal security office can be submitted via e-mail to marieke.debeuckelaere@vlaanderen.be. The following deadlines apply:

»     The complainant will receive acknowledgement of receipt of the complaint no later than five working days after the department has received the complaint, including the contact information of the person and/or department that will handle the complaint.
»     A substantive response to the complainant must be notified within two months of receiving the complaint.

11.3 The following circumstances do not give rise to any obligation of compensation from Gaasbeek Castle to the visitor:

»     the absence/non-visible presence of items from the Gaasbeek Castle collection,
»     the museum being partially closed or difficult to enter due to a nuisance, e.g. construction or dismantling of an exhibition,
»     nuisance or inconvenience caused by other visitors, maintenance work or by the improper functioning of facilities in the museum.

12. Lost and found

12.1 Found objects can be handed in at the desk in the entrance building or in the castle. Gaasbeek Castle undertakes to take these objects to the municipal offices of Lennik municipality on a monthly basis. These can be picked up from the reception desk during business hours:

Lennik Municipality, Markt 18, 1750 Lennik (T +32 (0)2     532 41 15).

12.2 When the museum closes in the evening, all lockers will be opened for inspection. Objects not collected at the time of closing shall be considered found objects. Gaasbeek Castle disclaims any responsibility in case of loss, theft or damage to any item left in the lockers or elsewhere in the castle grounds.

13. Dangerous objects

13.1 Legally prohibited or dangerous goods, materials or objects such as fireworks, drinking glasses and cans, chains, firearms, assault weapons or sharp weapons, or any other objects that can be used as weapons to disrupt law and order and banners with - in the opinion of the museum - discriminatory or provocative texts are not allowed.

13.2 Not legally prohibited but dangerous objects must be kept in a locker during your visit. In the case of legally prohibited items, the police will be notified.

14. Camera surveillance

The buildings in the Gaasbeek Castle grounds are, for security reasons, monitored by cameras, in accordance with the Act of 21 March 2007 governing the installation and use of surveillance cameras. The images captured are processed solely for this purpose and are not made available to third parties under any circumstances, except to the police in the cases provided for by law. Except for specific circumstances provided for in this Act or in the implementing orders, the recordings shall not be kept for more than one month. Any filmed visitor has the right to view the recordings in which they feature and may send a request to that effect to privacy.cjm@vlaanderen.be.

15. Sanctions

15.1  Failure to comply with these visitor regulations may result in the visitor being temporarily or permanently denied access to the castle grounds.

15.2  Visitors are liable for damage caused to (art) objects during their visit, participation in a workshop, studio, tour or other activity at Gaasbeek Castle. Compensation will be due for any damage caused.

15.3 These regulations are governed by Belgian law.

15.4 All disputes arising therefrom shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Brussels.

16. Data protection

Gaasbeek Castle shall process your personal data in the public interest for the purpose of providing our services. If you do not want us to process your data, if you would like to know what personal data we process or would like to correct your personal data or have them deleted, please contact our communication manager by e-mail. Our data processing policy can be found at www.kasteelvangaasbeek.be.

For more information regarding the privacy policy of the Flemish Government, please contact the Data Protection Officer (privacy.cjm@vlaanderen.be) of the Department of Culture, Youth and Media.