The lands of Villers-la-Ville Abbey

Le Chalet de la Forêt, a stone’s throw from Villers-la-Ville Abbey, offers brasserie food and snacks. With a huge terrace and a kitchen open for lunch and dinner, this is an essential stop before or after visiting the abbey. This Villers-la-Ville institution was built in 1898 for the quarry workers and fully renovated in 2015.

As well as its impressive Abbey, Villers-la-Ville and the surrounding area are packed with unique little places, romantic walks and hidden treasures.Don’t miss the chance to learn about them and leave with even more ideas and information after popping into the tourist office opposite the entrance to the Abbey.

Exceptional listed Walloon heritage, the Villers-la-Ville Cistercian Abbey is remarkably preserved since the 12th century!Explore its reception-shop area with a wide choice of local products, its interpretive centre and its tour itinerary. Get a panoramic 180° view of all the Abbey.The 8 beautiful gardens in very different styles are also to be admired. The Physic Garden is filled with all sorts of plants used in everyday life in the Middle Ages while the Monks’ Garden and Pharmacy Garden present medicinal plants past and present. The Abbey Garden, the Garden of Scents with its Meditative Path, and the timeline of old garden rosebushes form the three ornamental gardens. Two fruit gardens complete this set, the conservation and experimental orchard and the port of Brussels orchard.With the family of friends, explore Villers-la-Ville Abbey, its architecture, its history, its gardens and its animals!

The Ferme de Bérines offers a feast of fresh seasonal products: potatoes, carrots, celery, salads, pumpkins, etc.

Lucien Desterke specialises in the production and sale of spring and summer honey. Try them !

Direct sale of spring and summer traditionally-produced honey.

The Villers-la-Ville municipality has a real treasure of greenery in store for you... The Gentissart nature reserve, set in this former sand quarry, boasts great biodiversity.This site includes several bodies of water that are home to a wide variety of flora and fauna.It is open to the public and for school trips, on request, to observe the nature and animals that find a special habitat there.

Taste a wide variety of strawberries from May to the end of June: Darselect, Lambada, Joly, Dely, Dream and Guariguette. Direct sale of seasonal products such as green asparagus, melons, tomatoes (old varieties), peppers, pumpkins and courgettes.

A producer of honey and other beehive products (pollen, royal jelly, gingerbread ...).

The traditional chocolate maker "Définitivement Chocolat" produces from its own workshops and sells a very varied assortment of pralines, crunchy chocolate, fruit paste and chocolate spread to local shops...

The 'Ferme du Patriote' in Gentinnes (Chastre) offers produce from local agriculture. The products are sold in the courtyard of the farm which is currently undergoing a conversion to obtain its organic certification. You will find seasonal fruits and vegetables, local dairy products (butter, cream, cheeses,..), farm chickens and a selection of local products such as beers, apple juice, honey and preserves.

La Bergerie de Mellery is a sheep and cattle rearing farm that rears according to organic agricultural methods. The sheep breeds are the Entre Sambre et Meuse, the Rouge de l’Ouest and the Hampshire. The cattle breeds are the Parthenaise, the Galloway and the Dexter. Located in Villers-la-Ville, not far from Villers Abbey, this passionate producer sells directly in the form of packages of beef or lamb which can be ordered for home delivery or picked up from the farm (no shop).

Discover the 'Bâton de Saint-Bernard' from the butchers 'Maison Courtain'. This pure pork sausage is lightly smoked, with hazelnuts and beer from the monks of Villers. This local product is only available in this shop in Villers-la-Ville.

The restored microbrewery of the Abbey of Villers-la-Ville is installed in the former wash-house and honours this drink very much appreciated by the monks.New beers are being proposed as well as those brewed by the Confrérie des Hostieux Moines of the Abbey of Villers.