Abbey of La Cambre

The Abbey of La Cambre is a place of peace and greenery, surrounded by the busy city. On the horseshoe-shaped forecourt you can marvel at the opulence in which the Cistercian sisters stayed. The politically quiet 18th century caused such an increase in wealth that the abbey began to focus more and more on the city as a secular place. Especially the entrance portal in Louis XVI style, the square of honour in classicist style and the imposing abbess's house stand out. However, the sisters founded this abbey in the 13th century as a reaction against the too luxurious abuses in other monastic orders.

Only the Gothic church dates from the late Middle Ages. Be sure to try to walk in when the gate is open. On the right side of the church you can see the beautiful cloister through closed doors.
Until recently, the vast majority of the abbey was owned by the Ministry of Defence, for the production of the detailed maps by the National Geographic Institute. In 2020, the complex was purchased by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. It is used, among other things, as a base for the French-speaking art school La Cambre.

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