Clairvaux Trappist Mission lies on a hill overlooking the Nzinga River, a tributary of the Umkomaas River near Impendle. The mission was started in 1896 by the Trappists led by Abbott Francis Pfanner, and the church, is all that remains of this Mission. The surviving church was built in 1914 after the death of Francis Pfanner in 1909.
Clairvaux meaning Clear View has a birds eye view of this beautiful valley and is named after the Cistercian Abbey of Clairvaux, founded by St Bernard in 1115 , in northern France. Ref: Triumph and Tragedy – Trappist Missions in South Africa – A guide – Nicki Von Der Heyde – 2018.
This gallery has images of the church and the majestic Nzinga Valley.
Clairvaux Trappist Mission 1896