Domein Coloma

Coloma Domain is a sixteenth-century castle-and-park estate in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, in Flemish Brabant, combining a historic château, a fifteen-hectare landscaped park and a celebrated rose garden.

Where does the castle's name come from?

The original building went up around 1515 as a square structure with corner towers, a pear-shaped roof and a surrounding moat — a typical example of the shift from a fortified medieval castle to a country residence for wealthy Brussels families. The name "Coloma" comes from the de Coloma family, a Catalan lineage that settled in the Low Countries in 1577. In 1678 the estate passed to Jan Karel Roose, and around 1750 it came into the hands of the Coloma family, specifically through the marriage of Charles-Vital de Coloma to baroness Eugenia Roose, which led to the building's transformation into an elegant residence. Over the course of the eighteenth century the castle took on the form it largely retains today.

Who lived there, and how did it become municipal property?

The estate stayed in the Coloma family until the death of countess Antoinette, granddaughter of Jean-Marie van der Dilft de Borghvliet, in 1947. After that the château fell into disrepair until the municipality of Sint-Pieters-Leeuw purchased it in 1984. Following a thorough restoration, the building was turned into the town's cultural centre, which now hosts exhibitions and community events.

What does the surrounding park look like?

Coloma Park covers around 15 hectares and was originally laid out in the French style, with avenue structures, rectangular ponds and geometric green compositions. Over time this formal layout gave way to a looser, more naturalistic English-style design. That contrast between two garden traditions, arranged around a single residence, is part of what makes a walk through the park distinctive.

What is the domain's main attraction?

The centrepiece of a visit is the rose garden at the heart of Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, where more than 3,000 rose varieties from several continents bloom every year. It is considered one of the largest rose gardens in Europe, an idea that was conceived in the 1990s. The combination of a historic castle, an expansive landscaped park and a richly varied rose garden makes Coloma Domain one of the more significant recreational and cultural destinations in the Flemish Brabant region.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside the castle? Yes, the building now serves as the municipal cultural centre and hosts exhibitions and events open to the public.

When is the best time to see the rose garden? The main flowering display peaks in summer, when thousands of rose varieties from around the world are on show.

Is entry to the park free? The park and the green grounds around the castle function as an open public space, popular with residents and visitors exploring the area around Brussels.