SINT-PIETERSABDIJ - SAINT-PIERRE ABBEY OF GHENT

Saint Peter's Abbey is one of the most beautiful historical monuments in Ghent. The buildings date from the early 17th century and were built on the former Romanesque abbey-church, erected by Saint Amand around 630. They have been restored and now house an art centre (Kunsthal Sint Pietersabdij), which regularly organises high-quality temporary exhibitions, and a museum of natural sciences (De Wereld van Kina: Het Huis), which is aimed more at children. The imposing refectory dates back to the Middle Ages. The church and the cloister are also worth a visit. On the "Mont Blandin", the blonde stone facade of the abbey of Notre-Dame Saint-Pierre, surmounted by the graceful octagonal bell bearing the dome of its church, hides a rather severe courtyard. At the back of the buildings, the sloping garden as the monks had known it, with its vegetable garden, its vineyard, the enclosure of medicinal plants, etc. was reconstructed. For it was a real abbey village with farms, houses and farmland.

Audioguide. Recently, the visit of this church can be done with a movie-guide thanks to which the virtual monk "Alison" reveals you all the secrets of the place. An original and instructive experience. The story begins with the death of the monk Raphael. Alison then conducts an exciting and eventful investigation into the brutal disappearance of her friend in order to uncover the truth behind the deceptive appearances. A kind of life-size religious clue!