04. July 2018

Short trip to the Netherlands or ' Daddy was kidnapped ! '

My husband had been 'kidnapped' by his wife and kids !

Friday June 22nd was actually his 45th birthday. It had all been organized and arranged, and our dear Daddy didn't have a clue and the kids had kept the secret so I was taking the family on a short trip for the weekend.

So, on Friday evening, when my husband returned from work, I asked him to take his jacket, his pair of sneakers and to get in the car.

By then, he only imagined that we had planned something for the evening, but still ignored that his birthday celebration was going to last the complete weekend.

So 140 km, 110 minutes and three countries* later we arrived at the Abdij Rolduc in Kerkrade - south Limburg - Netherlands.

*yes indeed we rode from northern Luxembourg through

parts of Belgium, then Germany to arrive in the Netherlands

When we finally arrived at our destination, my husband was completely taken aback and overwhelmed....not only by the site's grandeur, but also by the fact that I told him that we'd not only have dinner, but spend the whole weekend abroad.

The site of Rolduc Abbey in Kerkrade is really a real impressive huge complex of buildings, the origins dating back to 1104 when it was created by Ailbertus van Antoing, a medieval clergyman (1060 - 1122). It's actually one of the most important religious monuments of The Netherlands, the largest abbey complex of the Benelux and one of the Dutch UNESCO Top 100 monuments and since the 12th century culture, science, religion and even tourism and hospitality have gone hand in hand. Guided tours are avaiable for those who want to dive into historical facts and have a closer look at the building and gardens, the church and cemetery, the beautiful library, many old paintings and much more.

We loved to take a stroll through the gardens, discover the small cemetery and wineyard, the microbrewery and many hidden corners of this majestic building.

We had dinner at the Kloosterbrasserie de Kanunnik and really enjoyed food and beverages. Our room was rather 'simple' but I had chosen this one on purpose to lighten my budget. I love the fact that there are different categories of rooms at different rates available to fit everybody's budget. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful, at the restaurant as well as at the reception desk or breakfast room.

I also loved the fact, that there was a whole bunch of different characters to be seen at Abdij Rolduc: families, couples, hen parties, a junior football team, hikers as well as bikers (on bicycles and motorcycles) and many more.

Breakfast buffet was huge and absolutely stunning and there's a lovely outside terrace in the abbey garden where you can enjoy a refreshing drink.

I'll leave it up to you to discover more details about this awesome place on their website and hope you'll enjoy my pics as much as we enjoyed our stay at Abdij Rolduc in Kerkrade - South Limburg - Netherlands.

Click HERE to find out what had been scheduled on the first day of our stay in Limburg.