Abbey Bellelay
Bellelay, 2713 Saicourt, Switzerland, Bellelay
You can stroll through the peaceful premises of this once psychiatric hospital belonging to the Bernese hospital administration. It's temporarily open for concerts and art happenings, but when I visited on a Saturday afternoon the place was dead. I'll try to find the opportunity to see the inside when coming for one of the Sunday evening concerts.
Very nice for such a little town
Every year, the cherry festival takes place in the abbey church, a small fair with food and the sale of local and cultural products. The location is ideal and the atmosphere is family-friendly.
In April and May, this place has a very extraordinary, mystical, and at the same time eerie atmosphere. It's a structure that soothes the soul; I definitely recommend you see it.
The Abbey is beautiful, the only thing is we couldn't go inside, everything was closed. We walked around the grounds; it's very well-kept, spacious, and quiet, with beautiful views. There are restrooms on site, not the cleanest, but thankfully there are. Parking is free across the street. Nearby is a restaurant (I recommend stopping in for lunch) and a cheese factory, which also has a museum, cafe, and a small shop. Each building also has parking. There's a park nearby, but we didn't go there.
The tour is recommended, an old / new monastery complex, Mr. Droz is a dedicated guide and explained so much to us, thank you