In the seventh century, St. Landelin founded an abbey at Lobbes. Like the Aulne Abbey also founded by the same St. Landelin, the abbey at Lobbes existed for a millenia before being destroyed in 1794 -- however, unlike Aulne, there are no ruins to tour. Fortunately there is St. Ursmer's Collegiate Church, parts of which date back to the 10th century; it is one of the oldest churches still standing in Belgium.
Lobbes lies along the Sambre River, southwest of Charleroi. It has a population of 6,000.
Bienne-lez-Happart, Mont-Sainte-Genevieve, and Sars-la-Buissiere are boroughs within the municipal district of Lobbes.