Both grand and calm

The abbey church of Hambye is a strange and beautiful ruin: one feels both awe and anxiety, undoubtedly because of the narrowness of the nave and the dark walls which give the illusion of vertiginous height. While decorations are almost absent, with the exception of a powerful hunting scene on a transept capital and the plant-themed capitals of the choir, there is still a great deal of elegance in this construction from the early Gothic period.

A more familiar atmosphere envelops the whole of the site, which is planted with fruit trees. The long-gone galleries of the cloisters have ceded their place to a lovely landscaped space surrounded by the conventual buildings, which have been well-preserved by the family that owns this part of the estate. It is a joy to spend some time in the chapter house, a Gothic masterpiece whose vault rests on thin columns and which has retained some traces of warm-coloured frescoes, including a large fragment depicting Christ washing the Apostles’ feet.

You should not leave the abbey without visiting the two permanent exhibitions on the painted canvases of Hambye and on the history of the abbey, as well as the temporary exhibition whose theme is renewed regularly.