Bloemendal Castle - Vaals

Schloss Blumenthal or Bloemendal House was commissioned by the Aachen cloth manufacturer Johannn Arnold von Clermont in the period 1791-1795. Von Clermont moved his cloth factory to Vaals in 1761. Von Clermont lived and worked in Huis Clermont for thirty years, after which he needed a country house a little further away. Therefore Bloemendal is built.

In the early 19th century, Bloemendal is offered for sale to Napoleon's sister Pauline Borghese. She does not accept the offer. From 1846, the house served for a very long time as a convent, for the order of the Dames du Sacre Coeur. It then also served as a boarding school for girls from wealthy backgrounds. Rose Kennedy, the mother of US President John F. Kennedy, even attended boarding school here. The then-built chapel and wings were demolished again during a restoration around 1990.

From 1968-1980, Bloemendal was home to the Sophianum, a comprehensive school for HAVO and Atheneum with which the Dames du Sacré-Coeur were initially still involved. While enjoying a drink and a snack, with a little imagination you can still see the nuns walking through the stately corridors and the pupils playing sports in the beautiful park.

Now Bloemendal Castle is a lovely hotel and a great base for a day out.