Is Villers Abbey in Villers-la-Ville open today? Yes: the ruins of this Cistercian abbey, founded in 1146 and listed as exceptional heritage of Wallonia, are open every day of the year except four days over the holidays, and a visit takes about an hour and a half. Le Domaine des Trois Tilleuls is 5 minutes away by car, on the site of the Vieux-Châtelet, where the abbey’s land came from. Below you will find the opening hours and prices for 2026, the dates that tell its nearly 900 years of history, what to see, its events, and how to walk to the abbey from the Domaine.
The essentials for your visit
- Open every day, 10 am to 5 pm from November to March, 10 am to 6 pm from April to October
- Adult €10, child aged 6 to 12 €4, free under 6
- Free parking, dogs allowed on a lead, a visit of about an hour and a half
- 5 minutes by car from the Domaine, or a 2-hour loop walk
Checked on the abbey’s website on 25.10.2026.
Opening hours, prices and practical information for 2026
The abbey opens every day at 10 am; it closes at 5 pm in the low season and at 6 pm in the high season, with last entry one hour before closing.
| 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Low season, 1 November to 31 March | 10 am to 5 pm, every day |
| High season, 1 April to 31 October | 10 am to 6 pm, every day |
| July and August | until 8 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays |
| Annual closure | 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January |
| Adult | €10 |
| Senior (65 and over), student | €8 |
| Child aged 6 to 12 | €4 |
| Child under 6 | free |
| Length of the visit | about an hour and a half |
| Parking | free; access limited to vehicles under 3.5 m |
| Dogs | allowed on a lead |
| Guided tour | every Sunday at 2.30 pm |
| Address | Rue de l’Abbaye 55, 1495 Villers-la-Ville |
The abbey recommends paying by card and offers a free visitor app with an interactive map, reconstructions and podcasts. In high winds the site may close exceptionally: a look at the official website that morning will reassure you. Opening hours and prices checked on 25.10.2026 on the abbey’s website, which is the reference.
Nearly 900 years of history in a few dates
Villers Abbey was born in 1146, when the knight Gauthier de Marbais and his mother Judith invited monks from Clairvaux to settle on their land; 650 years of monastic life followed, then ruin and rediscovery.
- 1146: founded by 17 monks from Clairvaux.
- 1147: visit by the future Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.
- 1197: work starts on a new building, Romanesque then Gothic, lasting nearly a century.
- Around 1270: first golden age, with 100 monks, 300 lay brothers and nearly 10,000 hectares of land.
- From 1508 to the end of the 17th century: the monks leave the abbey nine times, driven out by wars.
- 18th century: second golden age; the abbot’s palace and its formal gardens are built.
- 1796: the French Revolution drives out the monks; the abbey is sold and taken apart stone by stone.
- 1860s: Victor Hugo visits five times and draws the ruins.
- 1992: listed as exceptional heritage of Wallonia; 50,000 m² of walls and 5,000 m² of vaults make it one of the largest archaeological sites in Belgium.
- 2024: the whole site becomes the property of the Walloon Region; it welcomes more than 160,000 visitors a year.
Source: the history of the abbey, on the official website, read on 25.10.2026. For the village and its heritage beyond the abbey, see the village of Villers-la-Ville and its heritage.
The abbey and the Vieux-Châtelet: where it all began
Le Domaine des Trois Tilleuls stands on the site of the Vieux-Châtelet, seat of the lordship of Marbais: in 1146, the lord of Marbais gave the monks of Clairvaux the land on which the abbey was founded.
Staying at the Domaine means sleeping where the abbey’s story began. The Vieux-Châtelet walk loops around it in 1.54 km, an easy 25-minute stroll: a first walk on the evening you arrive, before visiting the ruins the next day.
A day at the abbey from the Domaine, step by step
A visit fits into half a day; with the walk there and back from the Domaine and a break at the bistro, it makes a full, pleasant day.
- Getting to the abbey. 5 minutes by car from the Domaine, or the Abbey walk: a 6.86 km loop, 2 hours on foot, intermediate level, 173 m of elevation.
- Enter through the visitor centre and start the free visitor app. With children, the Ardoise, a 10-station tablet game, turns the visit into an investigation (€5, or €4 from two rentals per household, price checked on 25.10.2026).
- The abbey church. The most imposing building: 94 m long, 23 m high, built from 1197 to around 1267. Its choir combines oculi, round windows, with very tall, narrow ones.
- The cloister. Built from the 13th to the 15th century, it linked the church, the monks’ wing and the refectory; the gallery along the church had benches for reading.
- The monks’ refectory. A 474 m² hall lit by 11 large windows, where the monks ate in silence while the Bible was read aloud.
- The Abbot’s Garden and the Notre-Dame de Montaigu chapel. An 18th-century formal garden, whose two fountain basins are original, climbs towards the small octagonal chapel consecrated in 1616.
- The meditation path. Eight panels line the climb to the Saint-Bernard chapel, for a quiet pause.
- A break at the Bistro de l’Abbaye. In a vaulted cellar above the river: homemade dishes from short supply chains and the beers brewed on site since 2016.
Sources: the church, the cloister, the refectory, the Abbot’s Garden, Notre-Dame de Montaigu, the meditation path and family visits, abbey website, read on 25.10.2026.
“We enjoyed the starting point for good walks, the visit to the abbey, the hosts’ welcome and, after a long day, being able to rest in the sauna and a good bed.”
A guest, on Booking (translated from French)
Concerts, exhibitions, shows: the abbey all year round
The abbey also comes alive in the evening and in winter: concerts, comedy nights, a film club, workshops, holiday courses for children and a year-end show fill the ruins and the old brewery.
Two examples on the programme as of 25.10.2026: the photo exhibition “La Famille” by Alain Laboile, until 15 February 2027, and the exhibition “Forgotten Dreams”, until 11 April 2027. Dates and tickets are on the abbey’s events calendar, kept up to date by the abbey itself.
For runners, two trail races mark the year around the abbey: the Trail de l’Abbaye, which starts from the ruins in October, and the Trail des Cisterciens, in April, starting from Tangissart, 10 minutes from the Domaine.
Walking to the abbey from the Domaine
From the Domaine, the Abbey walk leads to the ruins: a 6.86 km loop, 2 hours on foot, 173 m of elevation.
The routes are kept in the folder in the Foyer and on AllTrails, among the 70 km of trails that start from the Domaine. For a group with children, the Totemus treasure hunt “À la rencontre des moines et des chapelles au fil de l’eau” covers about 7 km through Villers-la-Ville, past the abbey, using the app of the Totemus treasure hunt in Villers-la-Ville. The nearby golf course offers another loop: Rigenée golf course, the Domaine’s neighbour.
“[…] Treasure hunt with the Totemus app, about 7 km through Villers-la-Ville, past the abbey. A lovely idea, perfect for coming with 4 families.”
Anjes and Frederik, in the Foyer’s guestbook (translated from Dutch)
For everything else to do nearby, see things to do in Villers-la-Ville around the abbey.
Staying near the abbey as a group
For a weekend with friends or family, the Domaine can be booked exclusively for up to 16 people, children included: 4 Cosy Cabins and the Foyer, 40 minutes from Brussels and 5 minutes from the abbey.
Everyone sleeps in their own cabin, for 1 to 4 people, with its own shower and dry toilet; everyone gets together in the Foyer, whose large room seats 4 tables of 4, and on its covered terrace. After the visit: the Finnish sauna, the fire pit and the meadows where the horses graze. To stay with several families, also read staying as 16, each in their own cabin.
“A wonderful estate next to the ruins of Villers-la-Ville! We spent a weekend there with our children and three other families (each in their own cabin).”
Bertrand, on Google (translated from French)
Frequently asked questions
How long does a visit to Villers Abbey take?
Allow about an hour and a half to walk round the ruins, according to the abbey’s website. With the visitor app, a break at the Bistro de l’Abbaye and the meditation path, half a day goes by quickly. From the Domaine, add 5 minutes by car, or 2 hours for the Abbey loop walk.
Are dogs allowed at the abbey?
Yes, dogs are allowed on a lead at the abbey, according to the official website (checked on 25.10.2026). Drones remain prohibited, to keep the site peaceful for visitors. At Le Domaine des Trois Tilleuls, pets stay at home, as the Domaine’s house rules provide.
Is parking at the abbey free?
Yes, parking at the abbey is free, according to the official website. Access is limited to vehicles under 3.5 m. By bike, the abbey is at cycle junction 30 and has bike parking.
Can you get to the abbey by train?
Yes: Villers-la-Ville station, on line 140 Ottignies-Charleroi, is 2 km from the abbey, according to the official website. TEC bus 51 also links Louvain-la-Neuve and Villers-la-Ville, Monday to Saturday. Timetables are on the SNCB and TEC websites.
Is the abbey accessible with a pushchair or wheelchair?
Partly: the official website states partial access for people with reduced mobility and accepts the European Disability Card. The paths are partly marked for scooters and small bikes, and a baby-changing table is available for the youngest. Details are on the abbey’s accessibility page.
The abbey, 5 minutes from your cabin
The ruins of Villers are open all year round, a visit of an hour and a half, 5 minutes by car or a 2-hour walk from the Domaine. To make them the heart of a weekend with friends or family, the exclusive use of the 4 Cosy Cabins and the Foyer welcomes up to 16 people, each in their own cabin, all together in the Foyer.
A question about the area or getting here? Email us at [email protected] or call 0472 28 05 68.
Tanguy, founder and host, Le Domaine des Trois Tilleuls. Practical information on the abbey checked on villers.be on 25.10.2026.
