Vrijhern Hermitage

Since 1984, Vrijhern Hermitage has been bustling thanks to a group of enthusiastic volunteers who formed the non-profit association, ‘The Friends of Vrijhern Hermitage’. They keep this exceptional place alive with passion and pleasure.

Every Sunday morning you can attend an atmospheric celebration of mass, and in the afternoon, Hoeselt’s coziest café opens its doors. Here you can enjoy a drink in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

And there’s more! This energetic team organises numerous fun activities throughout the year around the Hermitage. Top of the list? The famous Hermitage Day on 15 August (and the Sunday closest to it), an event you don’t want to miss!

Historical records suggest that Brother Geert van Elst built a hut in Vrijhern woods in 1685. This marked the beginning of more than three centuries of hermits in Vrijhern. Van Elst’s successor, a certain Jacobus Vandenbroeck, replaced the hut with a timber-framed hermitage, and in 1709, after making a pilgrimage to the Italian pilgrimage site, Loreto, added the Loreto Chapel to the building, modelled exactly on the Holy House of Nazareth in Loreto.

Monks stayed in Vrijhern until 1904. They lived off gifts from the faithful and made a name for themselves as teachers.  At one point, there were 57 young people attending school, including 12 boarders, and nurses.

In 1968, the buildings were restored. Today, the hermitage is the only one still inhabited in Limburg. The chapel, which has a magnificent stained-glass window depicting the Annunciation, is open daily. The cafeteria is only open on Sundays, but a walk through the three-hectare park is always possible.

Vrijhern Hermitage is still a busy pilgrimage site for Our Lady of Loreto. Every year on 15 August, Hermitage Day takes place, dedicated to the family. This historic hermitage in the idyllic village of Vrijhern is definitely worth a visit!