Historical beauty
The St. Laurentius church in Oud Gastel is a beautiful church with a rich history. As early as the 13th century, when the friars of Hemiksem Abbey moved to West-Brabant to cultivate the land here, the land of Gestele arose between the rivers Mark and Vliet. This area now lies in the municipality of Halderberge. Bovendonk in Hoeven was the place from which the friars and monks worked the land.
Two other churches have stood on the site of the current church. One church that served until the mid-15th century and the church of which the tower still stands to this day, built around 1450. The new church was built in a late Gothic style. Wars and decay created a dilemma at the end of the 19th century: complete renovation or an entirely new church. Preparations started in 1898. In 1905, construction started for a church in neo-Gothic style under the supervision of Gerardus Jacobus van Swaaij, who previously also had been responsible for the facade of the Oudenbosch Basilica.
The St. Laurentius church
The "new" church in Oud Gastel is of a very different style and stands out among the other West Brabant churches for its rich decoration. The church can be visited from May to September daily from
9am to 5pm.
The Marian chapel is free to visit. The church is accessible
to the fence at the back of the church.
Services
Every Sunday at 9:30 am, there is a celebration at St Laurentius Church.
Guided tours
The guides will be happy to tell you more about the church during a group tour. A tour for up to 15 people costs €25.00. Each additional person will be charged €2.50 per person. Reservations for a guided tour can be made by sending an e-mail to info@visithalderberge.com.
Source: ONS West-Brabant
