Ter Apel monastery museum
See what life in a monastery was like
A long time ago, monks used to live in the Ter Apel monastery. It has since been transformed into a museum that shows what life here was like in the olden days. You can put on a habit and have your picture taken as a monk. Look around the refectory, the herb garden and the bedrooms. There are options for playing outdoors in the Kloosterbos.
Working monks
At one time, there were over thirty monasteries and convents in Groningen. The Ter Apel monastery was the only one of which the building was retained. But what did a day in the life of a monk look like? There is a large church, but they did not spend their days praying. They spent much of their time working in the herb garden and the brewery. They also copied important texts in the scriptorium and cared for the sick in the infirmary. One monk’s task was to spend the day overseeing the provisions cellar. They had to make food last and were not permitted to take something to eat whenever they wanted to.