Abbaye Notre-Dame de Koningsoord, Trappist nunnery in Arnhem, Netherlands
The abbaye Notre-Dame de Koningsoord is a Trappist convent for women in Arnhem, in the Netherlands, set within a wooded area on the edge of the city. The grounds include a plain church, living quarters, workshops, and an enclosed garden that is not open to the public.
The community was founded in Tilburg in 1939 and moved to Arnhem in 2009 after urban expansion closed in around the original site. The new location gave the sisters the wooded surroundings they needed to continue their way of life.
The sisters follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, dividing their day between prayer and manual work. Visitors can buy handbound books made in the community's bindery from the small shop near the entrance.
Visits are restricted to set times and must be booked in advance through the convent's website. It is worth checking current conditions before traveling, as the community's prayer schedule shapes what is accessible on the day.
Bookbinding in this convent is treated as a form of prayer rather than a simple craft, woven into the daily rhythm of the community. Very few monastic houses in Europe still maintain this practice at the level found here.
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