Beguinage

The Beguinage of Hoogstraten was created before 1380. In the 16th century it was ravaged by fire several times. All the while, the court was confined to a few houses surrounded by a stone wall.

The great flowering period of the Beguinage lies between the second half and the end of the 17th century. The number of beguines then increased to 160 so that houses had to be built. From the second half of the 18th century, the number of beguines gradually decreased. In 1972, the last beguine left the Beguinage permanently.

In the early 90s, the Beguinage was languishing. Some enthusiastic Hoogstratenaren founded The Convent and decided to save this beautiful monument from destruction.

In 1999, the Beguinage was festively reopened. This unique restoration project won several prizes. Since 1998, the Beguinage of Hoogstraten, together with twelve other Flemish beguinages, has been on the UNESCO list of World Heritage.

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