The former Abbey of Herkenrode, an officially recognised Flemish heritage site, is home to a new Experience Centre, where you can learn about the history of this beautiful monument. The site has been under restoration since 1998, and the Experience Centre, which opened last autumn, is only the latest chapter in Herkenrode’s continuing history.
Admission to the centre includes an audio guide, available in four languages. The audio tour is triggered by electronic sensors, so you can go at your own pace, and all the wall texts are likewise translated from Dutch into English, French and German.
The theme “A Journey Through Time” arranges rooms chronologically, from the violence and piety of the Middle Ages to the luxury and privilege of later centuries. Everything is state-of-the-art, with touch-screen displays that allow you to explore topics in depth, and video screens showing dramatic re-enactments of episodes in the abbey’s history.
The exhibits sometimes resemble art installations rather than museum displays, lending the experience an unexpected touch of surrealism. For instance, one kiosk, dedicated to a miraculous event of 1317, is ringed with video screens depicting a communion wafer that starts to bleed before your eyes.
On entering from the bright, modern lobby, let your eyes adjust to the dimly lit room beyond. Don’t be surprised to see a life-size statue of a unicorn, the symbol of Herkenrode, or the silent figures of two nuns on the benches to your left. Here you can watch a film that gives an overview of the time periods and introduces some of the historical figures you will encounter in the rooms ahead.
Founded in 1179 by the Count of Loon as a burial place for himself and his descendents, the abbey became a Cistercian convent in 1217. At that time, the Cistercian order was at the height of its power and in fluence, rapidly expanding throughout Europe. During a period when women enjoyed few rights, religious establishments such as Herkenrode afforded them a degree of independence that their secular sisters rarely experienced.
The role of women at Herkenrode is a primary focus of the exhibition. At each point in the historical timeline, an abbess relates the events of her day in a fictionalised script that brings the past to life.
The fortunes of Herkenrode rose and fell over the centuries, due to religious wars, political feuds, famine and disease. The mid-16th century was a period of great prosperity for the abbey, Herkenrode’s “Golden Age”, when the abbess commissioned great works of art to adorn the church and other buildings.
The French occupation finally put an end to 600 years of religious life at Herkenrode. Most of the treasures were lost when the abbey was closed and its contents sold in 1797. It later housed both textile and sugar factories. In 1826, a fire destroyed many of the buildings, including the church. Eventually, the remaining structures fell into disuse and disrepair.
In 1974, Herkenrode was listed as a historical monument and the surrounding landscape became a nature reserve. The government of Flanders bought the site in 1998 and began a programme of restoration and development. Today it is one of a dozen official Flemish heritage sites whose preservation is linked to their importance in the history of the region.
The Experience Centre is in the newly renovated stables in the west wing of the complex. In addition to the museum, the centre includes a gift shop and café, where you can enjoy Herkenrode’s own abbey-style beers. Plans for the site include a restaurant in the stables and a project intended to reveal the now-vanished “historic heart” of the abbey. An open structure on the site of the original church will give visitors an idea of the building’s dimensions, while texts will describe the church and other lost buildings. In the courtyard outside the Experience Centre, a paved area will be used for outdoor events.
The site also includes an Inspirience Garden, where visitors can learn about medicinal herbs and other plants grown at Herkenrode. The surrounding landscape is ideal for a stroll, and there are four signposted walks that start at the abbey.
Herkenrode Abbey and its inhabitants played a key role in the history of Flanders – a role that is now much easier to understand, thanks to the Experience Centre. It’s well worth a visit, either on a winter’s day when a few hours spent exploring the past are a welcome escape from the cold, or in summer, when the gardens and nature walks beckon.
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