Sint-Truiden's founding institution sits on the south side of the Grote Markt, and though the abbey church itself was demolished after Napoleon closed the monastery, the surviving complex is substantial. The imposing Baroque gatehouse and parts of the cloister remain, now housing a cultural centre and the Schatkamer (treasury) displaying gold and silver reliquaries from the medieval abbey.
The freestanding Romanesque tower beside the site is one of the oldest church towers in the Low Countries, dating to the eleventh century. It predates almost everything around it and gives you a sense of how ancient this town's sacred geography really is. In May, when the orchards are in blossom, the view from the tower out over the flat Haspengouw countryside is worth the climb.