Tuin van het Sint-Paulusklooster

Tuin van het Sint-Paulusklooster is a former Dominican monastery garden beside Antwerp’s Sint-Pauluskerk. Its green space sits within a nearly square complex arranged around a monastic courtyard. Linden trees and other local species recall gardens once used for contemplation, medicinal herbs and food.

The surrounding monastery mainly dates from the seventeenth century, while two wings reach back to around 1500. Dominicans settled in Antwerp during the mid-thirteenth century, making this complex part of the city’s religious and intellectual history. Religious upheaval expelled the order in the late sixteenth century, when the buildings also served as a cannon foundry. A kitchen fire in April 1968 destroyed three-quarters of the monastery and left the church roof and baroque tower badly damaged. Restoration began in the early 2000s, combining heritage conservation with homes and creative businesses.

The restored garden and cloister follow their historical layout within a living urban complex. Protected church and monastery buildings surround a quiet green space shaped by centuries of change.