Saint Bavo's Abbey

Almost no stone remains from the Saint Bavo village from Van Eyck's time. The 7th-century site also had a monastery with an impressive church in the 15th century, was partly surrounded by water, partly enclosed by strong walls, and had two stone entrance gates of imposing dimensions. A malicious Emperor Charles unleashed his demolition hammer in the 16th century, leveling almost the entire site to the ground and building a fortress here, where the monastery was relegated to oblivion, as a shadow of its former self, within the walls. Almost the only thing left today from the monastery can be found behind the ancient walls in Spanjaardstraat. Unfortunately, those walls urgently need restoration and are fenced off in some places. The monastery is open for visits every weekend from Friday to Sunday, between 2 PM and 6 PM, from Easter weekend until November.

Pasar Drongen