Ruins of Villers-la-Ville Belgium

We’ve always been fascinated by ruins. Apart from a slice of the past, the mystery and tragedy that lead the place to what it is now is the rope, which keeps pulling us in.

Villers-la-ville situated in Belgium is no famous ruin, yet it is part of its charm.

LOCATION

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The ruins of Villers-la-ville is located near the major tourist spot in Belgium: 35 kilometers in the south of Brussels and 30 kilometers in the northwest of Namur in the province of Wallonia, the southern part of Belgium. It is located specifically at Villers-la-ville Walloon Brabant.

Dating back to 1200s, as early as the first time the Cistercian monks set foot in the place, the abbey ruins are one of Wallonia’s Major Heritage.

CLIMATE

The best time to visit the ruins is when the rain’s not pouring. Summer and spring will give you a much enjoyable experience, as you can stroll the ruins without hindrance.

Just be ready for the heat waves in the middle of August and to pack breezy clothing, as the temperature can rise until 30 degrees Celsius.

In winter months, be sure to be ready with layers of clothing to keep you warm with the temperature dropping at -5 degrees Celsius especially during the month of January.

Packing umbrellas would also be wise, as it drizzles throughout the year.

TRANSPORTATION

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Travelling to Villers-la-ville will be through train or car as there are no public buses offering services towards the place. Tourists who want to visit the ruins usually come from Brussels or touring Walloon Brabant.

Trains are available from Brussels and the line is called Brussels-Ottignies-Charleroi. It goes until Luxembourg, so the train will pass the Villers-la-ville. From the train station, the ruins are just more than a kilometer away.

Opting to travel on your own is also possible by car in which the quickest road to take would be N5.

ATTRACTION

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The abbey in Villers-la-ville is an infamous ruin in Belgium, which will give you at about 900 years of history and unlike from poring through history books, this one is a delight.

You don’t have to read. All you need is to feel and imagine the life of Cistercian monks dating back to the late 1100s to early 1200s.

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The remains of the refectory, kitchen, hostelry, workshops, chapter room, dormitory, hall, cloister, infirmary, church and chapel give you a glimpse of what had gone down in the area when life was still abounding in it.

The arches, looming ceilings, round and stained windows are a mix of Roman and Gothic architecture. Covered in thick, tangled ivies, their all once housed 25,000 monks and lays on its zenith, but was completely abandoned since the 1700s.

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One you will consider alive in this place is the herbal garden.

Other than that and the constant wind, pitter-patter of rain, and sounds of animals, nothing disturbs the place.

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However, since the place was opened up to the public, it comes alive again. Family bonding activities, discovery walks, open air concerts, exhibits, theater plays and more was held at the Villers-la-ville ruins. It is a quiet, charming place where you can feel at ease due to its serene surroundings.

The entrance free costs up to 6 euros for adults, 2 euros for children, with free entrance to disabled and under 6 years old. It is open from 10 am to 6 pm except from November to March in which it closes at 5 pm and every Tuesdays. The ruin is also close at certain days in 24th, 25th, and 30th of December and January 1st.

http://laurenceourac.com/ruins-of-villers-la-ville-belgium/

Images:
(1.) http://40.media.tumblr.com/143d7f2767b7a9a35578ce1b5444938a/tumblr_mw95d3vmQp1s7e0yco1_1280.jpg
(2.) https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/4/44/GEO_Belgium_Map_lg.jpg
(3.) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Ice_bruxelles.JPG
(4.) http://36.media.tumblr.com/efc87eb0bf0171f35e269179495929b3/tumblr_mrfc0j1MwR1rqfh50o1_1280.jpg
(5.) http://cdn1.vtourist.com/19/6107031-The_fossile_of_old_grandeur_Villers_la_Ville.jpg?version=2
(6.) https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4066/4587433768_39700d6ea4_b.jpg
(7.) http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/245958.jpg
(8.) http://europeupclose.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/remnants-of-herbal-garden-villers-les-ville-monastery-belgium.jpg
(9.)http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pUWaIHE2SE4/maxresdefault.jpg