La Cambre Abbey is a Middle Ages attraction of Belgium that has been preserved to our time. It is located in Brussels, on a vast territory in the Ixelles commune.

Although it is not included in the list of the most tourist-visited destinations of the city and is located at a distance from the main routes, this is an amazing, secluded and pleasant place that will be interesting to visit, if it is not the first time when you come to the capital.

In the past, there was a Cistercian convent for women in this place. It was founded in the XIII century when duke Henry I gifted its abbess a watermill and a part of the surrounding scenic land. The Abbey developed rapidly and thrived, thanks to generous donations from the high nobility of Brabant.

In the XIV century, at the time of numerous wars, the unprotected monastery was repeatedly raided by looters, and a significant part of the building burned in a fire.

In 1400, the reconstruction of the monastery building was initiated. The building was built from scratch out of gray stone in the traditional Gothic style. Later, elements from the Renaissance epoch and partly from classicism were added to the monumental architectural ensemble.

An impressive marble staircase was constructed, as well as wrought iron railings, a luxurious entrance-portal and a front yard. This exact appearance of the monastery has been preserved up to our time since the XV century.
The territory looks especially beautiful thanks to the thoughtful landscape, magnificent French ornamental gardens, where you can take a walk, sit on a cozy bench and enjoy the silence and the calm atmosphere of this place. Here, everything is steeped with history.

The monastery is famous for the fact that long ago, Alice of Schaerbeek, a patroness of the blind and paralyzed, lived there.

Today on the territory of the Abbey, there is a functioning Catholic church and a small chapel of Saint Boniface; everyone can visit them. In other buildings, there are the headquarters of the National Geographic Society of Belgium and the Higher School of Arts.

You can get to the picturesque place in the valley of the Malbec river either as a part of an excursion group or by public transport which starts its route from the Central Station.

Not far from it, there are the Children’s Museum, the Horta Museum and the Van Buuren Museum – so you can combine visiting the La Cambre Abbey and a cultural program.