Loppem Castle and Bruges

On Wednesday, there is a combined excursion: a visit to the collection of Loppem Castle followed by a trip to the city of Bruges.

In the morning we will be exploring the Loppem Castle, home to the Van Caloen collection. The castle, built in the 1860s, is a superb example of Belgian neo-Gothic architecture. The castle’s diverse art collection, built up by Baron Jean van Caloen, includes early works by Frans Pourbus, Netherlandish sculptures, eighteenth-century statues, and a large library containing emblem books.

We will spend the afternoon in Bruges. At lunchtime, participants may choose to visit the permanent collection of the Groeninge Museum. Our program then continues at the BRON research center and Print Room of Bruges Museums. There will be a guided tour by Anne van Oosterwijk, Director of the Collection, who will also give a talk on the plans for the new exhibition hall BRUSK. At the Print Room, Evelien de Wilde, Curator of Prints and Drawings, will conduct a study session with prints and drawings linked to the Bruges Academy and the Apprentice-Master II project, drawings from the Van Caloen Collection. She will also discuss plans to move the collection to the new depot in Bruges.

After this, the plan is for all participants to visit Saint John’s Hospital, which reopened in 2024 after extensive renovation work. Its new presentation focuses on hospitality and empathy, combining contemporary art with its major Old Masters collection. Seven works by Hans Memling, four of which were made for the hospital, are on view in the museum. This visit will also focus on the sisters who managed the hospital, whose patronage was crucial to Bruges’s artists for several centuries.

Program

Wednesday, 18 March 2026

08:45	Participants gather at Gent Sint-Pieters Station (or participants travel to Loppem Castle at their own leisure)
09:00-09:45	Transport by bus from Ghent to Loppem
09:50-10:20	Arrival at Loppem Castle with coffee and tea
10:20 – 12:00	Visit to Loppem Castle
12:00 – 12:20	Transport by bus from Loppem Castle to Bruges
12:20 – 13:45	Lunch at the Groeningemuseum and time to visit the permanent collection
13:45 – 14:30	Group 1: In-depth study session of some masterpieces in the Caloen collection with Evelien de Wilde Group 2: Tour through BRON and lecture about the upcoming plans for BRUSK with Anne van Oosterwijk
14:40-15:25	Group 1: Tour through BRON and lecture about the upcoming plans for BRUSK with Anne van Oosterwijk Group 2: In-depth study session of some masterpieces in the Caloen collection with Evelien de Wilde
15:40-17:00	Visit to Saint John’s Hospital
	End of program

The program is also available as a PDF-file.

Extra fee

There is an extra fee for this optional full-day excursion, which includes entrance to all locations, guided tours, lunch, closing drinks and the travel expenses to the Loppem Castle and Bruges. Members and associate members pay 75 euros and Patrons pay 105 euros.

Travel to and from Loppem Castle and Bruges

We will be travelling to Loppem Castle from Ghent by bus. The bus will also take us from Loppem to Bruges for the afternoon program. After the excursion, you can choose to travel back to Ghent at you own leisure or continue your journey home, for example from the train station of Bruges.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact the CODART office
Moos Engelbertink, event manager
events@codart.nl