Pairi Daiza has restored the monumental staircase of the former Cambron Abbey. Built in 1776, at the heart of the protected Cambron site, the staircase has undergone a meticulous restoration aimed at preserving its authenticity while strengthening its stability and safety.

The monumental staircase, spanning the Dendre River, bears witness to one of the most prosperous periods in the history of Cambron Abbey. With its impressive dimensions, three flights of steps and stone balustrades, it reflects a grandeur far removed from the austerity traditionally associated with the Cistercians.

This grandeur did not go unnoticed. In 1783, just seven years after the staircase was built, Emperor Joseph II, a reform-minded sovereign, classified Cambron among the so-called “useless” monasteries and decided to suppress the abbey as part of a reform targeting, among others, contemplative religious communities that he considered to have no useful role in society.

According to tradition, upon seeing the staircase, the emperor is said to have described it as “one of the finest in Europe”, while wondering whether it would actually “lead to paradise.” Although the authenticity of this statement has not been established, the anecdote perfectly illustrates the contrast between the Cistercian ideal of simplicity and the grandeur Cambron had achieved by the end of the 18th century.

Almost 250 years later, the monumental staircase of Pairi Daiza remains one of the most visible witnesses to this remarkable chapter in the history of Cambron.