10 étangs, a country house rental in Belgium

An Architectural Retreat Surrounded by Spring-Fed Ponds

A stunning haven for up to eight, with three double bedrooms plus a sofa bed, this thoroughly updated former fish farm is nestled among the waters of spring-fed ponds. A striking modern retreat, the property now stands as a contemporary lake cabin getaway, with interiors crafted of locally sourced oak, masterful ironwork, and formed concrete. Architectural furnishings such as vintage Nordic armchairs and brutalist seats join artistic installations, such as a wall collage of fishing boxes.

The ground floor is home to the common spaces, a large living room with an open fireplace, a sleek kitchen with a bar island and dining room, a laundry room, bath and toilet. Head up half a level to a TV room with a double sofa bed, a bedroom, and a bath with separate WC. Upstairs, two more bedrooms offer plenty of space to spread out, and there’s room to roam outdoors, with a large fenced garden, two furnished terraces, a plancha, pétanque court, a wood-fired Nordic hot tub, and pontoons leading into the lake’s waters.

Around

This contemporary retreat offers full immersion in nature and a woodsy landscape that changes with the seasons. It is a great base for wildlife watching—hares, rabbit, squirrel, fox, birds and a variety of aquatic life are daily passersby. Bring your boat or board and get out on the water, or dare to jump in for a swim off the pontoon. Outdoorsy types will love canoeing on the River Lesse, cycling the Points-Noeuds network of trails, visiting the Eau d’Heure Lakes, or golfing at Rougemeont.

For urbanites, nearby Namur is the capital of the Wallonia region, and it's where the Meuse and Sambre rivers join. The city’s medieval fortress offers seven kilometers of underground passages, and its gardens and enclosures have great views. Dinant offers a city getaway against dramatic cliffs and a fortified Citadel with sweeping views.

The gite is located in the Molignée Valley area of the Ardenne region, a land with a rich gastronomical culture and dozens of medieval castles and abbeys. Visit the Warnant snail farm, a place of heliciculture, which produces delicious escargots to bathe in parsley butter. There’s a fish farm in Annevoie that produces thousands of trout annually in pisiculture ponds, both great washed down with a local wine from the region under the A.O.C. Côte de Sambre et Meuse.