St. Willibrord's Abbey, Benedictine monastery near Slangenburg Castle in Doetinchem, Netherlands.
St. Willibrord's Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Doetinchem whose buildings were constructed in the 1950s using salvaged paving stones incorporated into the walls. The roofs are built with tiles laid directly on concrete beams, without the wooden supports typical of Dutch construction.
The abbey was founded after World War II by monks from Oosterhout Abbey, who lived for a time at Slangenburg Castle before settling on their current site. The permanent buildings were then raised during the 1950s.
The monastery's meditation garden was laid out following the principles of Japanese Zen gardens from Kyoto, and visitors can walk through it today. This mix of Benedictine monastic life and Eastern garden design gives the place a character that stands apart from other Dutch abbeys.
Religious services are open to the public and the monastery grounds can be visited during regular opening hours. The garden and outdoor areas are easy to walk around without any prior arrangement.
The current church building was originally designed to serve as the monastery library, not as a place of worship. When plans for a larger abbey church were abandoned, this smaller structure took on its role instead.
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