The most beautiful religious buildings Clervaux

Erected between 1908 and 1910 by Dutch architect JF Klomp and restored in 1945-1946, this magnificent Benedictine abbey, set back high above the town, can be seen for miles around. The monks live a life of prayer and meditation according to the rule of St. Benedict.

The abbey is neo-Gothic in style and, unlike the other buildings in the town it overlooks, is not covered in Ardennes slate but in red tiles.

Although a visit to the site is limited, there is easy access to the crypt to the left of the main entrance, with an interesting exhibition on monastic life (documents, photos, etc.).

The site is also a place for spiritual retreats (only men are accommodated at the abbey). An outside building houses a gîte for groups. There's also a store selling coffee and apple juice from the abbey, and a bookshop specializing in sacred art.

Suggested itinerary. Although it's relatively easy to get here by car, it's best to take the Abbey ascent (approx. 800 m uphill), which can be reached from the church of Sainte-Come and Saint-Damien, in the town center.

Guided tours. Every first Monday of the month, after daily mass, the Tourist Office organizes a guided tour led by a monk from the abbey, covering the history of the building and daily life (booking required).

The chapel was built in 1762 in a late baroque style by Count Adrien Jean-Baptiste de Lannoy and his wife Constance de Wignancourt to make it a place of pilgrimage dedicated to Mary. On the portal are represented their coat of arms and a relief of Our Lady of Loreto. Inside, the ceiling is adorned with a stuccoed rocaille decoration. The high altar is surrounded by two funerary monuments of the Lannoy family. The bell tower could have housed a hermit during services.