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Orval - Abbey Ruins

From the entrance to the abbey grounds the Court of Charity and the guest house can be seen.

Visitors pass through the shop where souvenirs, cheese and bread are sold, and arrive in the old reception house where an audio-visual show (in French and Dutch) gives information about the life of the monks. From the ruins looking left is an equipment barn which was once the studio of the lay brother Jean-Henri-Gilson (1741-1809) known as the painter-monk Abraham of Orval; many churches in the vicinity possess one of his paintings.

Nearby is the Mathilde Fountain about which is woven the legend of Countess Mathilde's lost ring.

Must-see attractions nearby:
Things to See

Gothic Monastery Church

The remains of the early Gothic monastery church consist of the parts which have survived: the walls and arches of the nave of the choir and the apse, as well as the transepts; the great rose window in the left transept and the slender window arches are striking. Also noteworthy are the Gothic and Romanesque capitals of the pillars. In the choir stands the replica of the tomb of Wenceslas, the first duke of Luxemburg who died in 1383. The monastery buildings adjoin the right side aisle and are entered by way of a flight of steps, at the foot of which the best known abbot of Orval, Bernard de Montgaillard, was buried in 1628. Remains of his grave inscription can be seen on a pillar. The extremely long room was the reading room in which 15,000 books were available; from here we reach the arches of the ancient 18th C. vaulted cellar below the steps which now houses a museum on the history of the monastery.

Herb Garden and Museum of Medicine

Returning to the abbey entrance building a look should be taken at the herb garden and the old apothecary in which a museum of medicine has been set up.
Hours
April 8 to September 30
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Open13:309:009:009:009:009:009:00
Close12:3012:3012:3012:3012:3012:3012:30
Open13:3013:3013:3013:3013:3013:3013:30
Close19:0019:0019:0019:0019:0019:0019:00
October 1 to April 7
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Open13:3010:0010:0010:0010:0010:0010:00
Close12:3012:3012:3012:3012:3012:3012:30
Open13:3013:3013:3013:3013:3013:3013:30
Close17:0017:0017:0017:0017:0017:0017:00
Typical Visit
20 minutes
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