princess_01ca

I find myself making a last minute trip through Eastern Belgium, coming from Luxembourg, bypassing Brussels, and visting the regions that includes Brugges, Ghent, Antwerp and time permitting, Liege and Maastricht.

I am wondering if anyone has knowledge of some good beer brewing sights/beer gardens around these areas. I am ecspecially interested in the Trappist Monasteries but unfortunately they seem mostly to the western part of Belgium.

Last summer I found myself in Bavaria and found a few beautiful Klosters/Breweries and I would like to repeat this kind of event in Belgium!!

Thanks
Derek

Budman

If you are coming up from Luxembourg, how about Rochefort. Here's an interesting website I found.

http://www.whitebeertravels.co.uk/rochefort.html

princess_01ca

Thank you, that seems exactly the kind of place I am looking for. I had previously come across Rochefort in my research but it didn't seem to stand out as anything like what I was looking for.

But a quick look at their website and it reminds me very much of the Irsee and Ettaler Monestaries I visited last summer in Bavaria amd so much enjoyed.

thank you again

aad

I can recommend some of my favorites:

The Orval abbey (Trappist), near the French border. There are guided tours through the buildings, and there is a shop selling the Orval beers and cheese. (www.orval.be)

Right at the Dutch border, halfway between Antwerp and Maastricht, you can find the smaller Trappist monastery of Achel. There is a restaurant/cafe that overviews the brewery, and a shop that sells many different beers, beer glasses etc. (www.achelsekluis.org).

The Maredsous abbey (Benedict) has a popular beer garden. The Maredsous beer is delicious, however not brewed at the abbey itself. I can also recommend the Maredsous cheese, sausages and bread.

As far as I know the Rochefort Trappist abbey is normally not open to the public. Same for Westmalle (Trappist), near Antwerp.

aad

Oops!

forgot the informative Maredsous website: www.maredsous.be

BTilke

You might enjoy the Flemish Show Gardens on the outskirts of Hoegaarden (as in the beer of the same name). It's a very attractive garden that includes a cafe (variety of Belgian beer available), a beer garden dedicated to the ingredients that make up beer, and there is usually a volunteer around with a keg of beer to offer samples to people passing through that section and to talk about the plants used in making beer over the centuries.
We liked the garden, it was quiet, the only other people in the gardens were locals. It is across the street from a handsome, large church built by the citizens of Hoegaarden in appreciation for their town's prosperity (they got a bit carried away...when it was built, the church held five times as many people as lived in the entire area).
They have a web site:
http://www.detuinenvanhoegaarden.be/TUINEN.html
Caveat: it's slow loading and not particularly helpful...best to email or call the gardens and ask if the beer garden part is still there.