Bike ride to the Kluis of Vrijhern.

In 1685, Brother Geert van Elst built a hut in the Vrijhern forests.
This was the beginning of over three centuries of hermit life in Vrijhern.
The successor of Geert Van Elst, a certain Jacobus Vandenbroeck, replaced the hut with a hermitage built of clay with half-timbering.
In 1709, after undertaking a pilgrimage to the Italian pilgrimage site of Loreto, Jacobus Vandenbroeck had a Loreto chapel added to the house.
And this exactly according to the model of the Holy House of Nazareth in the pilgrimage site of Loreto.

In Vrijhern, brothers would stay until 1904.
They lived off what the believers donated to them and served as teachers.
At a certain point, 57 young people attended school, including 12 boarders and caregivers.

In 1968, the buildings were restored.
Today, the hermitage is the only one in Limburg that is still inhabited.
The chapel, which has a magnificent stained glass window depicting the Annunciation to Mary, is open daily.
The cafeteria is only open on Sundays, but walking in the 3 ha large park is of course always possible.

The hermitage of Vrijhern is still a popular pilgrimage site of Our Lady of Loreto.
Every year on August 15, Marian celebrations are organized that focus on the family.
A visit to the historic hermitage in the idyllic village of Vrijhern is definitely worth it!