Klein-Sinaai


Klein-Sinaai is a village near the Dutch border in the Belgian municipality of Stekene in the province of East Flanders. Until 1977 it was a part of the municipality of Sinaai.
In Klein-Sinaai are the remains of Boudelo Abbey, formerly a monastery of the Cistercians.
The abbey was founded in 1197 when Boudewijn of Boekel, a monk from St. Peter's Abbey in Ghent, settled in Klein-Sinaai as a hermit. In the early 13th century the abbey was recognised by the Bishop of Doornik. In 1578 the abbey was destroyed by Calvinists from Ghent, but was rebuilt a few years later, within the walls of Ghent itself.
The museum of cultural history in Sint-Niklaas exhibits several archaeological finds from Boudelo Abbey.