ZNA Sint-Elisabeth

ZNA Sint-Elisabeth stands in Antwerp as a hospital whose roots reach back to the twelfth century. Its first form was a guesthouse for travellers, sick people, older residents, and others needing care. Lay brothers and sisters initially ran the house, while the Rule of Saint Augustine later shaped its religious life. The hospital moved to Elzenveld, where parts of its medieval setting remain visible in the grounds and architecture.

Over the centuries, the site expanded with land and farms, then endured plague, religious conflicts, cholera, and overcrowding. Its former vegetable and herb garden eventually became a public botanical garden. Modern services include cardiology, dermatology, geriatrics, rehabilitation, and mental health care for children and young people. A patient library cart, garden, hairdresser, and pedicure add practical details to the medical setting.

Former monastery buildings now house the Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, a restored hotel with restaurants. The surrounding complex therefore joins a working hospital with cultural, historic, and hospitality spaces. From medieval guesthouse to contemporary care centre, this corner of Antwerp keeps several layers of the city visible together.