Villers Abbey

Villers was founded in 1146 and grew into one of the wealthiest Cistercian houses in the Low Countries, with a community of hundreds and estates across Brabant, and its buildings went up on a scale to match: a church over ninety metres long, a cloister, a refectory, warming rooms, a brewery, mills and a walled precinct in a wooded valley. It was sacked during the wars of religion, suppressed at the end of the eighteenth century and quarried, and it has stood roofless ever since, which is what makes it: the church walls stand nearly to full height with their window openings empty, and grass grows in the nave. Restoration has stabilised rather than rebuilt. The ruins are used for concerts and theatre in summer and there is a modern visitor centre and garden.

What you actually see

• A ninety-metre roofless church - walls standing nearly to full height.
• Cloister and refectory ruins - the monastic buildings around the court.
• The wooded valley setting - the precinct enclosed by trees.
• Summer performances - concerts and theatre staged in the nave.

When to go

April to October for the ruins at their best; it opens year round with shorter winter hours. Two to three hours. Summer evenings for performances. Autumn colour in the valley is good.

Honest expectations

It is a ruin with no roofs and little shelter, so weather dictates the visit. Some areas are fenced for stabilisation work. The railway line runs beside the site and trains are audible. Interpretation is largely in French.

Nearby

Nivelles is west; the Solvay park at La Hulpe lies north.