Abdij van Bornem

About the museum

The abbey's history begins in 1603, when the Spanish nobleman Pedro Coloma, lord of Bornem, laid the foundation stone of a monastery dedicated to the Holy Cross. At first the building stood empty. From 1658 English Dominicans moved in; they enlarged the monastery and set up a training college there, which is why the site became known in Bornem as the English Monastery (Engels Klooster). Around 1768 the dilapidated monastery was demolished except for the church, and between 1769 and 1773 a new classicist complex with four wings around a courtyard was built. In 1772 the grounds received their monastery garden.

During the French Revolution the monastery was confiscated and sold at public auction in 1797; the religious bought it back but had to sell it again in 1825 because of debts. In 1836 it passed for good to the Cistercians of the Sint-Bernardsabdij in Hemiksem, who had been living in Bornem since 1833. In this way the abbey of Hemiksem, dissolved during the Revolution, lived on in Bornem as the Sint-Bernardusabdij. Between 1840 and 1842 the monks built a new neoclassical church on the site of the old one; it has served as a parish church since 1974. The library followed in 1872.

After a long period of decay the site was thoroughly restored from 2016: first the roofs and facades, and from 2019 also the library and the ground-floor rooms. Homes were created on the upper floors and in the outbuildings. In early 2022 the abbey reopened to visitors. Abbot Leo Van Schaverbeeck, the last abbot, returned after the restoration and died in February 2023; since then no monastic community has lived there. The municipality of Bornem runs the abbey as a heritage site.

Visitors walk through the cloisters lined with portraits of the abbots and see the refectory, the chapter house, the Sint-Thomaskapel and the choir stalls. In story rooms, objects, paintings and screens tell of Pedro Coloma, the English Dominicans, the Cistercians and the region. The highlight is the two-storey showpiece library with around 35,000 works, including books from the 15th century and illuminated manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries. The abbey is surrounded by a walled park with an orchard and a herb garden that is freely accessible.

Highlights

• Two-storey showpiece library from 1872 with around 35,000 works
• The “hell”: a locked cabinet for once-forbidden books
• Cloisters, refectory, chapter house and Sint-Thomaskapel
• Story rooms on Pedro Coloma, the English Dominicans and the Cistercians
• Inclusive route with tactile panels, sounds and scents
• Walled abbey park with orchard and herb garden

Permanent exhibitions

• Kloosterruimtes en verhaalkamers – Route through the ground floor past the cloisters, refectory, chapter house, Sint-Thomaskapel and choir stalls, with paintings and sculptures from the abbey collection. Story rooms with objects and screens shed light on Pedro Coloma, the English Dominicans, the Cistercians and the region.
• Pronkbibliotheek – Two-storey library from 1872 with around 35,000 works, from early printed books to illuminated manuscripts, and a large section on the Cistercian order. A locked cabinet known as the “hell” once held forbidden books.

Operated by

Gemeente Bornem – Autonoom Gemeentebedrijf Bornem (Dienst Erfgoed en Toerisme)

Admission & discounts

Tickets from the online shop or at the ticket desk. According to the abbey, prices are indicative and may be indexed annually. The Belgian Museumpas is not (yet) valid. School visits cost €100 or €70 per class according to the website.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

Because of its historic character, the abbey is not equipped for wheelchair users: along the way there are always a few steps (at most two) to climb. Seating is provided along the route, folding stools and a wheelchair can be borrowed at reception, and staff help on the stairs. The inclusive route for blind, partially sighted, deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors combines tactile elements, touch panels, sounds and scents with a specially developed audio guide or a sign-language guide. Only guide dogs are allowed in the building.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

At reception, families receive an activity booklet to explore the abbey together. In the Erfgoedapp, Pedro Coloma guides families through twelve abbey rooms with stories and tasks. Families can also book their own guided tour.

Getting there & parking

By car via the N16, which connects to the A12 and the E17. Cyclists will find the abbey at cycle junction 23, with a bike rack next to the abbey church. Bornem town centre is about 800 metres away.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

The reception area has a small museum shop with regional products, publications, second-hand books from the abbey library, the abbey board game Abbates and Bornem Tripel and Dubbel; it also houses the tourist information office. In the tasting room, coffee, tea or abbey beer are served during events and group visits. The former lay brothers' house contains the separately run tavern De Lotuspoort. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the abbey.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

The abbey hires out rooms for study days, product and press presentations and receptions. Photo shoots, for example for weddings or communions, are possible on request.

Plan your visit