BRUSSELS - THE "ROUGE CLOÎTRE"

There are so many forests and parks in and around Brussels, that I think in the 53 years I am living here I haven't seen them all ! This time I wanted to rediscover the Abbaye du Rouge-Cloître. It is an Augustinian abbey in Auderghem, one of the 19 municipalities of Brussels located on the edge of the Forêt de Soignes (Sonian Forest). It was founded in 1367.



Above you can see how it looked when it was still occupied by the monks. Below an air view how it looks today, and as I remember it when I had been there the last time in the 70th ! There was still a hotel restaurant. Today this part has become an Art center.

Everything, from its buildings to ponds, takes you to the past: the enclosure, the priory of the abbey of the 18th century, the old priory farm, a nice square building with one floor, the old outbuildings with their ring, and the miller's house, they are a meeting point for painters.

The Legend says that all of the paths in the Forêt de Soignes lead to the Rouge-Cloître ! On 6 hectares, the Rouge-Cloître site offers its gardens and two walks, respectively called forest walk and lakeside walk to the public.

Today the Abbey of Rouge-Cloître (Red Cloister) is also an art center where exhibitions and workshops take place.




the entrance over a bridge



through this door



The guard house (I think)



the inside court of the cloister



the cloister



the Farm buildings





it also had the "farm" smell





another part of the farm house



Inside here is a little restaurant, where you can have cold or warm meals or just a coffee or a drink.



There were quiet a lot of people who had a coffee and cake or a wafel







the other side of the cloister



A painting and gravure workshop



Sculpture workshop and handmade jewelery



the horse stables (without horses)



It was locked, I don't know where the horses were



But you could see the carriages









and the beautiful park and woods around the cloister.