The site is currently in ruins, but the ruins are well preserved. Some timid attempts of restoration are undertaken, the end of which is currently not in sight. This however does not preclude a visitor imagining monastic life at the Villers site.
This is a visit rich in impressions without long explanations. It starts with the warming room, the only heated room in the 13th century complex. Later, as more chimneys were added, its function changed to winter refectory. There are thirty more rooms to explore.
Yves Plateau, collaborator of Jacques Martin (Alex) has made an a series of drawings of what once was. His reconstruction of the site, as it existed in the 13th century, can be viewed in the various rooms of the abbey. Casterman has published the drawings in an album on Villers Abbey.
Practical
Villers Abbey is about fourty minutes drive from Brussels. The visit takes minimum 1.5 hours. It is correctly priced. There is a small shop with literature on the site and on religious life. The ruin in a park setting is a grateful subject for photographers.
