St. Alex Beguinage

Dendermonde, Belgium

The St. Alex beguinage (1288) consists of 61 houses built around a trapezoidal courtyard surrounding a small church. The beguinage is an island of tranquillity in the heart of town.

Similarly to the Belfry, the St. Alex beguinage has been proclaimed UNESCO World Heritage in 1998. To keep the memory of the beguines alive, one small house (nr.11 H. Bonifacius) has been furnished as an authentic beguine's home.

In 1975 the last beguine, Miss Ernestine De Bruyne, died. Her former home (nr. 25 H. Begga) holds a museum of folklore. Spread over three floors and a great many rooms, visitors will learn about housekeeping, work and recreation in the lives of former generations.

House nr. 20 disposes of a detailed historical documentation centre with a specialized library, photographs and slides concerning Dendermonde.

References:

Dendermonde Tourism

Address

Molenstraat 12, Dendermonde, Belgium

See all sites in Dendermonde

Details

Founded: 1288
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in Belgium

More Information

www.toerismedendermonde.be

Rating

4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Erik Max (3 years ago)
Back to the past

Mr Van Damme (4 years ago)
Very quiet and peaceful place in the middle of the city center. Renovations are planned but not yet started. So the roads can be filled with puddles when it rains. Know that people live there so please respect their privacy. Update april 2021: renovations on the roads and surroundings are finished. The cobblestones give a very authentic feeling.

brieuc (5 years ago)
Small but very cute beguinage. However it currently undergoes a complete renovation (streets, garden, facades).

Kevin De Broe (6 years ago)
Great view

Diego Vertongen (6 years ago)
A little oasis of peace in the middle of the city. The site also contains a little museum. These is a place with a lot of history.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright murphygb

Historic Site of the week

Clickimin Broch

The Broch of Clickimin is a large and well preserved, though somewhat restored broch near Lerwick. Originally built on an island in Clickimin Loch (now increased in size by silting and drainage), it was approached by a stone causeway. The water-level in the loch was reduced in 1874, leaving the broch high and dry. The broch is situated within a walled enclosure and, unusually for brochs, features a large 'blockhouse' between the opening in the enclosure and the broch itself. Another unusual feature is a stone slab featuring sculptured footprints, located in the causeway which approached the site. Situated across the loch is the Clickimin Leisure Centre.