Loppem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In 2025, Loppem Castle in Zedelgem banned big events like Camp Lophem due to rising visitors (from 1,000 to 20,000). Isabelle Van Caloen cited protection and peace.
As VRT News reported, in 2025, the people who organise the Loppem Castle in Zedelgem, in the province of West Flanders, Belgium, had to move it to a new place. The castle’s management decided to stop allowing big events like this. They made a new rule that limits large public gatherings on the castle grounds.
Isabelle Van Caloen, who helps run the Jean van Caloen Foundation, said the decision to stop big events at Loppem Castle is based on the foundation’s main goal. That goal is to protect the castle and share its history and culture with visitors. She said the castle is mainly a museum.
The rules of the foundation say they must focus on things that help people learn about and enjoy the castle’s story. She mentioned that big events like Camp Lophem bring too many people, heavy vehicles, and too much setup work. The foundation now wants to only allow events that are about culture or learning.
Why did Loppem Castle stop hosting popular large events?
Isabelle Van Caloen stated that there have been a lot of visitors in the last 10 years. In the past, it was around 1,000, but now it’s around 20,000 visitors. The maze located to the side of the castle and near the castle, has about the same number of visitors.
Many others come just to walk around the ponds. Because more people are coming, the foundation thinks it is very important to keep the calm feeling of the place. They want all guests and residents to enjoy the area without trouble.
Camp Lophem, a World War II event with old army trucks and people in costume, will now happen at Merkenveld holiday park in Zedelgem. 2 music events, Loppem Left and Zilleghem Folk, also moved. They found a new spot at the De Strooien Hane sports centre, close to the castle. These changes were made by the event groups, the town, and the foundation.
For the last 2 years, the park around Loppem Castle in Zedelgem was the setting for Camp Lophem, a big event that brought World War II to life. The event had more than 100 old military vehicles and many people wearing clothes from that time. Officials mentioned that it attracted large crowds and gave visitors the feeling of stepping back into history. The wide-open park and the old neo-Gothic castle made it the place for this kind of event.
