Eglise de Ombret
THE ABANDONED CHURCH IN BELGIUM
‘Eglise de Ombret’ is a church in ruins in Ombret, a small town close to Liege in Belgium. The church was built in 1871.
Ombret is part of the municipality of Amay. The Gothic Ombret church was built in the 19th century by Architect Eugène Halkin. However the church is a ruin today. Only the bell tower is preserved, as well as a section of the nave and the choir. Also at the back of the building is a small Lourdes grotto. The old church bells are displayed on the main square of Amay.
In 2005, a contractor bought it to build luxury apartments but the project was never carried out. During a storm in 2013, a tornado destroyed the arches and pillars inside. As a result part of the outer walls had to be removed. Apart from the tower, only part of the foundation walls remain.
Again, in 2017 and during 2020, new plans were made to build houses within the old walls. However one of the conditions for the renovation is that the adjoining Lourdes grotto must be preserved and renovated. I took these photos of the old ‘Eglise de Ombret’ during my visit in 2011. Follow this link for more abandoned churches around Europe.
