As a beerlover in Belgium,you cannot get around the trappist beers. We had been trying to visit all of the Belgian Trappist brewing abbeys for a while, and recently ticked off the last one.
As a beerlover in Belgium,
you cannot get around the trappist beers. We had been trying to visit all of the Belgian Trappist brewing abbeys for a while, and recently ticked off the last one. So here’s an overview in the order that we visited them, including one Dutch abbey because it was so close.
Achel
The abbey of Achel, also known as the Saint Benedict Abbey or the Achelse Kluis, sits on the Belgian – Dutch border and has done so for centuries. There was a chapel in the vicinity as early as 1656, and a community of recluses from 1686 onwards. The area was frequently visited by catholics who lived north of the border, in the protestant Netherlands. Shortly after the French revolution of 1789, the Trappist monks community from Westmalle was growing, and they decided to build a new abbey here. By 1859, they were making cheese and brewing beer, much like their counterparts from Westmalle. The brewing was abruptly ended by the first world war. A large part of the abbey grounds was destroyed, and the copper of the brewing installation was later confiscated and repurposed as ammunition for the war.
It wasn’t until 1997 that a new brewery was installed with the help of Westmalle, which makes the Achel beers that are on the market now some of the youngest Belgian Trappist brews. You can taste all of them in the brewery’s cafeteria, which is the only place in the abbey that is open to the public but you can buy and taste the various brews and cheeses. It is also the only place where you can get the lowest percentage Achel Blond and Achel Bruin. The naming can be a bit confusing – both Achel Blond and Achel Bruin come in 3 variations of 7, 8 and 9.5% ABV. There has also been a recent change: when we were there in May 2016, the 7% didn’t exist and there was instead a 5% that you could only get in the abbey cafeteria. As far as I know, the same is true for the new 7%, so we now have a reason to go back 🙂
We did a short walk in the area around the abbey, which takes you through fields, woods, and a few places of interest related to the first world war. With the abbey being right on the border and the Netherlands being neutral during WW1, it was the scene of many attempts of Belgian refugees, smugglers and others to cross the border. To prevent this, the Germans built a fence along the whole border, which included a wire with 2000 volts on it that electrocuted anyone trying to cross, giving it its name Doodendraad (death wire). There is a reconstruction of the Doodendraad right outside the abbey, and the 8.8km ‘Trappistenwandeling’ guides you along 2 other reconstructed installations.
Westmalle
One of the stronger and more bitter trappist beers, Westmalle’s tripel has long been one of my favorites. Visiting the abbey however doesn’t add much other than you’re able to tick it off. Despite being one of the more commercially inspired trappist breweries, there is nothing to visit in the abbey, which looks more like a modern factory than an ancient abbey. There is a cafe nearby that is nice enough, but there aren’t any exclusive Westmalle beers to try there – it’s the Westmalle Dubbel and Tripel like you would get anywhere else, although they do a rather eyebrow-raising half-half mix of Dubbel and Tripel in one glass that I hadn’t seen anywhere else.
Zundert
Like Westmalle, Zundert looks fairly modern from the outside. Also like Westmalle, there’s not much to do at the abbey itself other than visit a little bookshops which mostly sells religious books and is run by one of the monks. If you’ve visited the abbey and would like to try their product, there is a camping on the other side of the road that has a bar/restaurant on the grounds that sells Zundert’s trappist beer.
Orval
Both my favourite beer and the best abbey to visit. The original abbey was affected by war multiple times, but was completely destroyed in 1793 in the wake of the French revolution. It wasn’t until 1926 that monks returned to the site. Instead of rebuilding, a new abbey was erected next to the ruins of the old one. The ruins of the old abbey are open for visit and are definitely worth a walk around. There’s also a little shop which sells bits and bobs related to Orval, like keyrings, bottle openers, glasses, and the mandatory religious literature. Walking around the old abbey, you can also get a few glimpses of the new abbey – which is quite pretty.
Like all of the other abbeys, it’s not possible to just rock up and visit the brewery. Unlike all the other abbeys however, Orval has a single weekend in the year where the brewery is open for visitors.
Rochefort
On our way back from Orval, we stopped at Rochefort. There’s nothing beer-related to see here, but we did get to walk around part of the abbey. A couple of doors were open, so we went in, followed a gallery, and eventually ended up just outside a chapel (or small church). Inside the chapel, a baptism was going on, and we suddenly weren’t sure if we were supposed to be there, so we discretely made our way out. There was nothing else to see or do, so that was the extent of our visit.
Westvleteren
Westvleteren produces 3 beers, and they are the most illusive ones to get your hands on. There are very few bars around that have them on the menu – mostly because Westvleteren beers aren’t sold commercially – and when they are on the menu, they are very expensive. Across from the abbey however, there is a cafeteria that is associated with the abbey, where you can try all 3 beers at democratic prices (3.5 EUR if memory serves) along with the abbey’s cheese. The cafeteria also has a little shop where you can buy beers and cheeses. The beer is generally sold in a gift box – 6 bottles plus a glass. If you plan to go though, it’s best to go early because the stock in the shop is limited, and it only takes a couple of tour buses to make them run out. There is also no telling which of the beers they’ll have on offer.
If you want to get a crate, and be certain that you get a specific beer, then you need to check out the schedule on the abbey’s website and make a reservation. The reservation system recently got an overhaul and is now done online, but that doesn’t mean simply order a bunch of crates and get them the next day. You still need to go and collect your order personally, and even online, there is a queue which means you may need to wait weeks or even months before you can get your hands on a crate.
Westvleteren has a few nice walks that you can do in the vicinity. The abbey was located close to the front during world war 1, and some of the walks take you by places that played a role back then. These places have signs put up, with an explanation on why they were significant.
Chimay
Last but not least, Chimay. It was last on our list, simply because it’s tucked away in a fairly forgotten corner of the country, not near any highway or major town, making it the most difficult to reach for us. Being out of the way like that has its advantages: the area is quiet, with lots of woods, rolling hills, and medieval looking villages. Despite only dating back to the 1850s, the abbey blends well into the medieval theme. This is of course based on what we saw on the outside, as entering the abbey is only possible if you’re there for worship or some kind of retreat.
Like most of the trappist abbeys that brew beer, there is a affiliated pub that serves the products of the abbey. The one for Chimay is a nice one, offering the beers in taster glasses so you can try the Chimay White, Blue, Red and Dorée in one sitting. Food wise, the menu is traditional Belgian, with many dishes featuring one of the abbeys beers, cheeses or pates.
There is also a small museum which explains the history of the abbey, along with an introduction into how beer is brewed. There’s also a scale model of the abbey, highlighting what the different buildings are for.