Grand Beguinage Turnhout

The Beguinage of Turnhout was founded in 1340 and is one of the finest preserved walled beguinages in the Kempen. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage and consists of 44 whitewashed houses around a central lawn with the baroque Holy Cross Church. A Beguinage Museum is also installed, showing the life and work of the beguines.

Accessibility is partial. The main entrance via the gate on the Begijnenstraat is level and wide enough for a wheelchair. The central square has cobblestones and some paths in brick, which can feel uneven; flatter strips are, however, provided along the houses. The Beguinage Church is accessible on the ground floor via a ramp. The Beguinage Museum has a narrow historic structure and is only partially adapted, with some thresholds and a narrow staircase to the upper floor.

An adapted toilet is present in the visitor centre at the gate. Disabled parking spaces are located at the edge of the beguinage, in the Beguinage car park, and at the nearby town hall. The beguinage is a pleasant starting point for a further wheelchair walk through the centre of Turnhout, with the National Playing Card Museum, among others, a short distance away.