Maredsous Abbey

Denée, Belgium

Maredsous Abbey was founded in 1872 by Beuron Abbey in Germany. The foundation was supported financially by the Desclée family, who paid for the design and construction of the spectacular buildings, which are the masterwork of the architect Jean-Baptiste de Béthune (1831–1894), leader of the neo-gothic style in Belgium. The overall plan is based on the 13th century Cistercian abbey of Villers at Villers-la-Ville in Walloon Brabant. The frescos however were undertaken by the art school of the mother-house at Beuron, much against the will of Béthune and Desclée, who dismissed the Beuron style as 'Assyrian-Bavarian'. Construction was finished in 1892.

Maredsous Abbey is also known for the production of Maredsous cheese. It is a loaf-shaped cheese made from cow's milk. The cheese is lightly pressed, then washed in brine to create the firm, orange crust and pungent aroma. The abbey also licenses its name to Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, since 1963 the makers of Maredsous beer.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 1872
Category: Religious sites in Belgium

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Laia Casals Escolà (3 years ago)
Nice place, but usually crowded.
Renier Schwarzer (3 years ago)
Beautiful abbey an excellent beer, que for food a bit troublesome
Robert Wastyn (3 years ago)
Great location and very good beer. One of the best relaxing moments and Corona proof
bassam sheer (3 years ago)
Great place to have a short day trip. There is a play ground for kids as well. Inside there is a mini restaurant, you can buy drinks and food. There are many bicycle routes that goes to there for biking lovers.
Franky goes green (3 years ago)
clean environment, nice free parking....great walks. Nice well maintained building. Artisanal shops. Good cheese and beer from abbey.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Diocletian's Palace

Considered to be one of the most imposing Roman ruins, Diocletian’s palace is certainly the main attraction of the city of Split. The ruins of palace, built between the late 3rd and the early 4th centuries A.D., can be found throughout the city. Today the remains of the palace are part of the historic core of Split, which in 1979 was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

While it is referred to as a 'palace' because of its intended use as the retirement residence of Diocletian, the term can be misleading as the structure is massive and more resembles a large fortress: about half of it was for Diocletian's personal use, and the rest housed the military garrison.

Architecture

The palace has a form of an irregular rectangle with numerous towers on the western, northern, and eastern facades.