Discover Lobbes: Abbey, Gardens and RAVeL

Lobbes opens up a day of holiday experiences combining abbey history, Carolingian church heritage, garden culture and cycle paths. The main attractions are Lobbes Abbey, the collegiate church of Saint-Ursmer, the Jardin de Folcuin, the Musée du Miel and the RAVeL routes 109A and 109/1 connected to Lobbes. This allows you to focus on different aspects when planning your trip: historical discoveries, gardens, insights into honey production or activity along the RAVeL de Sambre. For families, this combination offers a range of ideas for days out and plenty to talk about, without every holiday day having to follow the same pattern.

Lobbes Abbey and its history

Lobbes Abbey was founded by Saint Landelin in the 7th century. During the Middle Ages, it developed into one of the region’s most important cultural centres. This historical development gives the abbey particular significance, even if you combine your stay with a wide range of different interests. Rare remains of Lobbes Abbey have survived on the banks of the Sambre. The north-western gate of the former enclosing wall is called Portelette. Anyone interested in medieval history and the traces of former monastic complexes can place these names and sites within their exploration of Lobbes’s history.

Church, herb garden and garden culture

The collegiate church of Saint-Ursmer is the only church in Belgium dating from the Carolingian period. Near it, there is a medieval herb garden containing medicinal plants. Alongside the abbey’s broader history, this adds a vivid aspect centred on plants and earlier monastic culture. The Jardin de Folcuin is classified as a park and garden of Wallonia. It is a public garden with a medieval and monastic design. When planning your day, you can therefore take different forms of discovery into account: historic buildings, garden spaces and the exploration of medicinal plants.

RAVeL and Musée du Miel

The RAVeL routes 109A and 109/1 are connected in Lobbes to the RAVeL de Sambre. If you would like to include cycling in your trip, you can take these two routes into account when planning. Shape the specific structure of your day around your personal plans.

The Musée du Miel offers a different experience. There, an active colony of bees in a glass hive shows the living side of beekeeping. Visitors can also watch the extraction of the first honey. This makes the museum an interesting stop for travellers who would like to combine observing nature with an interest in food. Especially with children, such an insight can complement a historical or landscape-focused day with a practical observation.

The right accommodation for planning your trip

When looking for accommodation in Lobbes, it is worth first deciding on the pace of travel you want. If abbey history and the church are the main focus, you can organise your plans around cultural experiences. Those who prefer to alternate between gardens, the museum and cycling can put together a more varied daily schedule. A holiday apartment or holiday home can serve as a framework for your stay that you choose yourself, without committing to a single main theme. When making your choice, check which destinations and activities have priority for your trip and what kind of daily schedule you would like.

Other places for your research

For further trip planning, you can also look at Hensies, Aiseau, Houdeng-Goegnies, Ellezelles, Seneffe, Boussu, Mouscron and Tournai.

To the higher-level travel overview: Hainaut.