New Urban Relics
februari 13, 2026
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This factory was founded in 1826 on the grounds of a former Cistercian abbey, whose earliest history dates back to 1202. At the end of the 18th century, the abbey was deconsecrated, only to make way for the crystal factory 30 years later. The chapter house and the scriptorium have been renovated and are still used by the crystal factory today.
Participation in the 1894 World's Fair in Antwerp with the 'Vase of the Nine Provinces' put the name Val-Saint-Lambert on the world map for good. The vast majority of production was exported to wealthy clients all over the world. Val-Saint-Lambert could, for example, count the Russian court among its clientele.
At the factory's centenary in 1926, over 5,000 people were at work!
When I visited the part of the factory that had been empty for years, the renovation work had already begun. A substantial portion of the buildings had already been demolished. Only a small storage building remained standing, weathered by the ravages of time. The decay was delightful and, all in all, made for a beautiful, albeit brief, exploration.
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