Abbaye Notre-Dame de Koningsoord, Trappist nunnery in Arnhem, Netherlands
The abbey is a Trappist convent featuring plain architecture organized around prayer halls, residential areas, workshops, and private gardens set among woodland surroundings. The layout is designed to support the contemplative life of the monastic community.
The monastery was established in 1939 and relocated to Arnhem in 2009 when urban growth threatened its earlier location in Tilburg. The move preserved the secluded setting needed for monastic life.
The community lives according to strict monastic rules, where silence and handwork form the core of daily spiritual practice. Visitors can observe this disciplined rhythm reflected in the quiet spaces and the careful way the sisters move through their day.
Visits are available at set times and require advance booking through the monastery's website. It helps to check current conditions beforehand since the community needs to maintain their prayer schedule and contemplative environment.
The sisters practice skilled bookbinding, turning this craft into a form of spiritual discipline and prayer within their daily work. Few monastic communities today maintain such a specialized bookbinding practice.
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