Hôtel Dorival

Hôtel Dorival is one of the finest remaining examples of patrician architecture in Bouillon. Overlooking the Semois, it was built in the 18th century and transformed in the 19th century into an elegant aristocratic residence.

Its city-facing courtyard façade is remarkable for its Tuscan pilasters and ornate cornice. In 2011, panoramic 19th-century wallpaper was discovered inside.

It’s named after Thomas Dorival de Fignamont, who lived here in the late 1700s. He was president of the Sovereign Court of the Duchy of Bouillon. The house was richly decorated by him around 1780, and much of it remains intact.

The house is also linked to writer-poet Cécile de Vaulx de Champion, who owned it in the 1950s. She hosted literary salons here and was a co-founder of the Friends of Vieux Bouillon, which led to the creation of the Musée Ducal.