Thanks to 'Soms Ook Heimwee' I set my senses on a mystic walk in Villers-La-Ville, between Charleroi and Waver. Among the dense forest the ruins of an abbey make Villers-La-Ville a fancy getaway destination. I flet with Jeroen and all the credits of getting there are for him, as my only effort was being the car's DJ.
A narrow winding road under the bridge of the abbey greeted us once we arrived. On both sides of the track, we could peek through the ramparts of the abbey. It was early autumn and the abbey seemed rather drowsy because of the rainy weather. But it's a whale of a monument when you walk past it and I was very excited because I never ever have seen an abbey this big and serene in Belgium.
The abbey is established in the 12th century and the ruins are suprisingly good preserved. The starting point is the visitor centre or the old mill house. Some stairs lead us all the way up to the Monks gardens. This elevation provided an overview of all the outbuildings before going over the bridge to explore them. We strolled between the ruins of the former pharmacy, infirmary, guest house and chapel. There are more hidden stairs to the sleeping quarters and dining room. And not to forget the trees that are of wise age and make it all fit together.
But the chuch I found the most captivating. The arched vaults are still standing tall. We tested our cameras here for a solid half hour.
The healing gardens looked a bit dead because of the season. I believe they look pretty in Spring so a good reason to go back one day?
Information
Location: Avenue Georges Speeckaert 50, 1495 Villers-la-Ville, Belgium
Opening hours: Every day from 10 – 17, April until October from 10 – 18
Admission: €9 for adults, €7 for students and seniors, €4 for kids the age of 6-12 years
Website: https://villers.be/en
Hoi Nele, het is er prachtig hé ! Wij zijn er ook eens gaan wandelen, maar dan vooral in het ‘dense and dark forest’. Magnifiek !
kris