Floreffe - Premonstratensian Abbey Attractions

About 10km/6miles west of Namur lies the village of Floreffe where on a hill stands the great former Premonstratensian abbey, one of the best preserved examples of this order in Belgium. The abbey was founded in 1121 by St Norbert and extended in the 17th and 18th C. to its present size. The French Revolution put a stop to monastic life, but it is continued today in the form of a little seminary. Of the 90m/295ft abbey church only the transepts and sacristy still remain from the initial phase; the interior was restored at the end of the 18th C. by Dewez. Of particular interest are the choirstalls by Peter Enderlin. There are 74 seats richly carved including some with effigies of the founders of the order.

The grottos of Floreffe are also worth seeing.