Historic gems around Bioul

The water gardens of Annevoie
Just west of Godinne you drive past the enchanting water gardens of Annevoie from the 18th century. In these beautiful gardens, the grandeur of French style merges with English romanticism and Italian sophistication. Waterfalls, fountains, old trees, perfectly trimmed hornbeams, you will find it all here. Dive into a small path and experience the atmosphere of the past. Another celebrity on the route is the monastery of Maredsous, where delicious Trappist beer is brewed. The monastery was founded in the nineteenth century. The monks of Maredsous are Benedictines, who have founded thousands of monasteries all over Europe since the Middle Ages.

Maredsous Abbey
At the end of the 18th century, there were about fifty Benedictine monasteries on the territory of present-day Belgium. As a result of the French Revolution, the monasteries and religious houses were abolished, sold and mostly destroyed. It was only with great difficulty that the surviving monks re-established their communities of elderly monks. Maredsous Abbey is one of the abbeys where the monks settled.

Abbey of Brogne
Beer is also still brewed at the Abbaye de Brogne. Already in 919, Gerard Brogne founded an abbey here. In 1196 the abbey was embellished and enlarged. In 1743, the abbey was given its present appearance, preserving the architectural elements of the previous buildings, such as a beautiful crypt from the thirteenth century. During the French Revolution, the large abbey church was destroyed, but the abbey is still beautiful to see.