Home»All Photographs»Belgium, World Heritage (click to see more)»Flemish Beguinages, Vlaamse Begijnhoven»Turnhout

Turnhout is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of Antwerp. beguinage was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1998. Béguines were women who dedicated their lives to God without retiring from the world. In the 13th century they founded thebéguinages , enclosed communities designed to meet their spiritual and material needs. The Flemishbéguinages are architectural ensembles composed of houses, churches, ancillary buildings and green spaces, with a layout of either urban or rural origin and built in styles specific to the Flemish cultural region. They are a fascinating reminder of the tradition of the Béguines that developed in north-western Europe in the Middle Ages.