Sint-Pietersabdij

About the museum

The Sint-Pietersabdij traces its origins to the missionary Amandus, who in the seventh century founded two monasteries in Ghent: Blandinium on the Blandijnberg, later Sint-Pieters, and the abbey of Ganda, later Sint-Baafs. The Sint-Pietersklooster became a Benedictine abbey and, after the Viking period under Count Arnulf I, the religious centre of the County of Flanders and the burial monastery of its counts. Every new ruler went to the abbey first on his Joyous Entry.

Iconoclasts and Calvinists caused heavy damage in the sixteenth century. In the seventeenth century a new abbey church was built after the model of St Peter's in Rome, and in the eighteenth century the abbey grew into a princely residence with a luxurious abbot's quarters. In 1796 the last monks had to leave the monastery. The abbey church was temporarily used as the Musée du Département de l'Escaut, a forerunner of the Museum of Fine Arts; the city bought the remaining buildings in 1810 and used them as a barracks.

After 1948 the barracks period ended and a long restoration began, in which the cloister, chapter house, refectory and infirmary, among other parts, were restored. The infirmary is now the Huis van Kina. Today Historische Huizen Gent manages the abbey as an exhibition house and as an open historic house, with pandgangen (historic galleries), a courtyard, an abbey garden with vineyard and herb garden, and an authentic medieval refectory wing.

Highlights

• Pandgangen and courtyard with well, free to visit
• Abbey garden with vineyard, herb garden and orchard
• Medieval refectory wing and Sint-Pieterskerk
• Exhibition house with changing exhibitions
• Free visitor guide and the digital Sanderus app

Operated by

Stad Gent (Historische Huizen Gent)

Admission & discounts

The ground floor (pandgangen and courtyard) and the abbey garden are free to visit. For exhibitions you pay for a ticket; the amounts given here apply to the current exhibition De verwondering van Raoul Servais and may differ per exhibition. Holders of a CityCard Gent do not need to reserve; a museum pass is on sale at the desk.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The abbey has a wheelchair-accessible entrance on the front and a lift, so wheelchair users can reach the exhibition spaces and the upper part of the Sint-Pieterskerk independently. A wheelchair is available on site, as is accessible toilet facilities. Check accessibility per exhibition. A detailed ToegankelijkheidsWijzer (accessibility guide) is available online.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

There are children's art studios and workshops, and with the current exhibition a children's trail.

Getting there & parking

The abbey is in Ghent's low-emission zone; cars without a Belgian or Dutch number plate must register via lez.gent.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Lockers

The small shop at the desk is freely accessible and sells reference books, historical novels, children's books, postcards and gadgets. Lockers can be used free of charge. In the abbey garden there is room to picnic, study or simply relax.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

There are large and small historic halls, such as the Kapittelzaal (chapter house), the Cellarium, meeting rooms, the pandgangen and the monks' and library attics, plus the courtyard and the southern garden with vineyard. Suitable for parties, weddings, conferences, receptions and lectures; the abbey is part of Flanders Heritage Venues. You choose your own catering.

Plan your visit