Kerniel (Borgloon), BE

Mariënlof Abbey

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Mariënlof Abbey is a cistercian nunnery in Kerniel (Borgloon). Orginally it was built for the order of the Holy Cross (Croisiers) in the fifteenth century, but in the nineteenth century it became a cistercian cloister. It houses several remarkable objects such as the shrine of Saint Odilia, dating of 1292 and the Chair of Saint Lutgard.

About this building

Mariënlof Abbey was founded in 1438 by Maria van Colen as a cloister for the Order of the Holy Cross (Crosiers). In 1822 it became a cistercian nunnery. It is a pieceful place and the abbey is still inhabited by nuns. The most remarkable objects of this abbey are the shrine of Saint Odilia (1292) and the Chair of Saint Lutgard (1190-1210) but off course there is much more to see. The enterance cost is 2 euros. A sister will guide you in church and the sacristy.

Key Features

  • Architecture
  • Interior features
  • Atmosphere / quiet space

Visitors information

  • Ramp or level access available on request
  • Steps to enter the building or churchyard
  • Car park at the building
  • On street parking at the building
  • Parking within 250m
  • Accessible toilets in the building
  • Accessible toilets nearby
  • Café within 500m

Other nearby buildings

Flickr

Read Between The Lines

Read between the lines church was designed by Pieterjan Gijs and Arnout Van Vaerenbergh in 2011. This open-air church is entirely made of steel.

Wikimedia Commons/Torsade de Pointes

Virga Jesse Basilica

The Basilica Virga Jesse dates back to the 18th century. The Brotherhood of Our Lady built the Clerkenkapel in 1334 to venerate the statue of the Virgin Mary, Virga Jesse. From 1727 it was replaced by a church in late baroque and early classicist style. The church was completed in 1740. François-Xavier de Mérode. In November 1944 the church and the adjacent houses were severely damaged by a rocket. The reconstruction of the church was completed in 1951.

Wikimedia Commons/Torsade de Pointes

Hasselt Cathedral

Already in the 7th century, a church was founded on the site of St. Quintinus Cathedral, which was replaced in the 11th century by the ancestor of the cathedral, initially built in the Romanesque style. In the 15th century, the choir was rebuilt and included an ambulatory and four chapels. The bell tower of the present church dates from 1725 and was restored in the 19th century. The church did not become a cathedral until the foundation of the diocese of Hasselt in 1967.

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