Red Cloister, Protected heritage site in Auderghem, Belgium

The Red Cloister is a former Augustinian priory in Auderghem, at the edge of the Sonian Forest. Its long, low white building has a dark grey pitched roof, a central triangular pediment, two small dormer features, and a ground floor of tall arched windows and doors. Dark green trim frames the openings, and a thin dark band runs below the roofline.

The complex was founded in 1366 as an Augustinian priory and played a role in regional religious life for centuries. Its secularization in the late 1700s transformed its purpose, eventually enabling its current use for culture and art.

The name Rouge-Cloître derives from the Middle Dutch Roode Cluse, possibly referring to the red colour of the original hermitage walls, coated with crushed tiles and bricks. The official French name is Saint-Paul en Soignes. The estate was used for hunting in the 16th and 17th centuries and is now a nature reserve and a starting point for walks in the Sonian Forest.

You can reach the site on foot in about 18 minutes from Herrmann-Debroux Metro station or by several bus lines serving the area. The grounds are accessible and a visit pairs well with a walk through the surrounding green spaces.

The library was spared when fire ravaged part of the buildings in 1693, and many of its books were later taken to Vienna's Imperial Library, where they remain. The water mill on the Roodkloosterbeek ground grain and pressed oil. The white sandstone church, destroyed by fire in 1805, held paintings from Rubens' studio.