Béguinage of Hoogstraten

The Béguinage of Hoogstraten is one of thirteen Flemish béguinages inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, tucked away in the small town of Hoogstraten in the Antwerp province, close to the Dutch border. This enclosed complex of small houses and a chapel was built in the Middle Ages to house beguines — women who led a religious, communal life without taking formal monastic vows or fully withdrawing from secular society.

When was the béguinage founded and who lived there?

The community in Hoogstraten was founded in 1380 to shelter poor and elderly women who wished to live according to a religious rule while retaining a degree of independence — they could own property, earn a living, and leave the community at any time. The béguinage grew over the following centuries, although it suffered several fires in the 16th century that destroyed part of its buildings. Despite these setbacks, the community rebuilt itself, and by the end of the 17th century it had reached its peak, counting around 160 beguines.

What does the architecture of the complex look like?

At the heart of the béguinage stands a brick church built between 1680 and 1687 in the Baroque style, dating from the very period when the community flourished most. Around it stretches a layout of modest, small red-brick houses lined up along quiet lanes and surrounded by greenery — a typical urban plan for Flemish béguinages, balancing the residents' privacy with a communal life centred on the chapel.

What happened to the béguinage after the last beguines left?

The number of resident beguines gradually declined over the centuries as social realities shifted, until the last beguine associated with Hoogstraten departed in 1972. The buildings were not left to decay, however — in 1999 a thorough restoration project converted the former beguine houses into residential spaces while preserving the historical character of the whole complex. Today private residents live in the former houses, keeping the béguinage a lived-in part of the town rather than a purely museum-like attraction.

Can visitors tour the béguinage and its museum?

Within the complex operates a Municipal Museum, housed in former béguinage buildings, presenting exhibitions on local heritage, archaeological finds, and the medieval history of Hoogstraten and its beguines. Visitors can stroll along the béguinage's quiet lanes, admire the Baroque church, and learn about the women who shaped this distinctive community for centuries.

Why was the Hoogstraten béguinage added to the UNESCO list?

In 1998 the Béguinage of Hoogstraten was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of a series of thirteen Flemish béguinages, recognised as an outstanding example of a unique form of religious life led by lay women, characteristic of the Low Countries during the medieval and early modern periods. The inscription highlights not only the architectural value of the individual houses and church, but above all the significance of the entire urban layout as a testimony to an independent, communal way of life that endured for several centuries.

Frequently asked questions

Do beguines still live in the béguinage? No — the last beguine left Hoogstraten in 1972, and today private residents live in the restored houses.

What is worth seeing on site? The Baroque church built between 1680 and 1687, and the Municipal Museum with exhibitions on the béguinage's and the region's history.

Is this the only béguinage in Belgium on the UNESCO list? No — the Béguinage of Hoogstraten is one of thirteen Flemish béguinages jointly inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1998.