Lourdesgrot Sint Pieter

Lourdesgrot Sint Pieter is a chapel built into a marl wall, featuring pointed arch windows and colored glass panes that filter light into the interior. The structure incorporates local flint pebbles and stone materials sourced from nearby quarries in the hillside.

This grotto was built in 1880 by the Claerenboets family, making it the first of its kind in the Netherlands. Its construction reflected the Catholic devotion of the era and the desire to create a sanctuary for prayer and pilgrimage.

The grotto serves as a place where visitors leave written prayers and wishes on white marble plaques displayed on the garden wall. These personal expressions of faith have accumulated over time, creating a tangible record of devotion at this site.

The chapel can be reached through a double wrought-iron gate on Ursulinenweg 3, situated on the eastern slopes of Mount Saint Peter. The location requires a walk up the hillside, so comfortable walking shoes are advisable for the visit.

The grotto was constructed using flint and materials from the marl quarries of Sint Pietersberg, the same hillside where locals had mined stone for centuries. This choice of local materials ties the chapel to the region's long mining heritage in an unexpected way.