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.

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Founded: 1872
Category: Religious sites in Belgium

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Thomas Winstone (4 months ago)
Lovely abbey with nice playground. Great for the kids. Went for food, but tables not cleared, had to do it ourselves and then wasn’t sure if we had to order at the bar or wait and was told to wait. Took 30 mins for someone to take our order. There was no “cafe gourmand” left! Long wait for nothing!!! No wait to enter abbey, for put that down below. My grip here is with the food part of the visit.
Kuba Szafran (8 months ago)
Nothing special. The church has been marred by yellow paint and has lost its original ambiance. During my visit, there were so many cars that we couldn't find parking space. However, you can buy some good beer."
Felipe Araya (8 months ago)
I went on a public holiday and the experience was horrible, way too many people, im pretty sure on a normal day the experience will be better
Alex Corbeanu (12 months ago)
Go to the Sunday service and respectfully experience devotion, regardless of your faith. There are so many other activities one can enjoy here, from art classes to walks... I definitely enjoyed the local produce!
Alina Devi (2 years ago)
The magnificent cathedral church in ancient times was built by a very rich German family.. it is very spacious. The shape of the building is also very luxurious and the architecture is beautiful. Its architecture was built in 20 years.. but now it is no longer used.. only just for visiting tourism..maredsous abbaye produces delicious cheese and the best beer in Belgium...I've tried the product...it's really good taste
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