01 April - 01 November
Mon 10.00 - 17.00
Tue 10.00 - 17.00
Wed 10.00 - 17.00
Thu 10.00 - 17.00
Fri 10.00 - 17.00
Sat 10.00 - 17.00
Sun 10.00 - 17.00
All year on request :
Jonathan Porignaux :
+32 82 64 32 33 / +32 474 42 39 99
jonathan.porignaux@hotmail.com
Sunday 10 am
Located along the Meuse, this old abbey church founded by Irish monks in the 11th century is full of charm.
People admire its massive and imposing tower, its architecture devoid of artifice and its lovely setting along the river. To a great extent it is in the Romanesque style with its tower, its nave with beautiful square pillars supporting the arcatures with round arches, its transept and its crypt. The choir is Gothic (1264).
In the interior, one will notice the stalls and the wall paintings, both very old, dating from the 13th century. The statuary is very rich, especially with works by Lambert Lombard. The crypt contains Merovingian sarcophagi and very aged reliquaries.
In the crypt, which is located under the main altar, you can admire the archaeological remains of the old abbey.
Our Lady is still venerated in the abbey church. For centuries, pilgrims passed by the statue of the Virgin and Child to receive her protection. They touched Jesus' face and knee. Today, the statue is still on display in the choir.
In the Middle Ages, a procession originated in the region in honour of Saint Walhère. A triptych (the painting consists of three panels) bears his name. It is a work by Auguste Donnay, a Belgian painter and passionate about Walloon culture. This painting, which hangs on the north side, tells a legendary story from the XIIIth century: the murder of Saint Walhère, the parish priest of Onhaye, the discovery of his body on the banks of the Meuse and then the transport of the remains to Onhaye, his native village.
Detours and other pilgrimages in Namur (loop 6) - South of Dinant, the Meuse valley preserves its diversity and its wild side. Victor Hugo has also been there. From the heights, he marvelled at this "great nature" at the top of the Freyr rocks...