Soleilmont Abbey
Fleurus Founded in 1237
Soleilmont Abbey, located in Fleurus, Belgium, on the outskirts of Charleroi, is a Cistercian abbey run by a community of nuns founded as early as 1237, nestled in a green oasis. After a fire destroyed the ancient monastery in 1963, the sisters relocated in 1973 to the site of a former coal mine, about a kilometer away. Today, twenty-eight sisters of various ages follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, alternating prayer and work in a spirit of simplicity, sobriety, and authenticity. They produce hosts, breads, cookies, and ceramics.
The modern buildings, constructed in the 1970s, house a church whose large stained-glass window opens onto nature through the changing seasons. People come to Soleilmont for a restorative spiritual retreat, in a peaceful setting marked by prayer, hospitality, and joy.
What awaits you
Practical information
Meals
Breakfast is self-service. Meals are not taken in silence. Retreatants are invited to help with the dishes.
Accommodation
About a dozen individual rooms are available. Bed linens are not provided, so be sure to bring your own.
Liturgical offices
Vigils at 4:05 a.m., Lauds at 7:15 a.m., Terce at 9:00 a.m., Sext at 12:10 p.m., None at 2:15 p.m. (3:00 p.m. on Sundays), Vespers and Mass at 5:10 p.m. on weekdays, Mass at 11:00 a.m. on Sundays, Compline at 7:25 p.m. Attendance is open to all.
Manual work
Depending on the stay chosen, it is possible to take part in the sisters' activities: making unconsecrated hosts, pottery, or outdoor work on the property.
Library & meeting rooms
A small library and two meeting rooms are available to retreatants.
Getting there
Charleroi Sud train station, Metro M4 direction Soleilmont. At the terminus, take bus 710 (direction Fleurus Champs Elysées), stop - Avenue Gilbert, Nouvelle abbaye de Soleilmont. 10 minutes on foot up Avenue Gilbert. OR Fleurus train station, bus 710 (direction Charleroi). Stop - Avenue Gilbert, Nouvelle abbaye de Soleilmont. 10 minutes on foot up Avenue Gilbert.
E42 from Namur or Mons-Brussels, exit 15-Fleurus, head toward Charleroi then follow signs for "Abbaye de Soleilmont". The abbey entrance is on the left, after the bridge.
Over hills and through valleys, on the road to Soleilmont