Beer and Belgium -- A Terrific Combination!

Okay, I’ll admit it.  One of the things attracted me to visiting Belgium was an opportunity to visit some of their famed breweries and to taste what is lauded as some of the best beer in the world.

While some tourists specifically come to Belgium for the beer, in my case, I simply incorporated my passion for discovering more about Belgium beer into my itinerary. 

If you are a beer lover too, here are a couple of ideas for you to consider when designing your own Belgium trip!

  • Trappist Beer – If you wanted to visit all the Trappist monasteries to taste their delicious beers, you’d have to crisscross the entire country and almost 400 miles to visit them all.  That’s a little crazy, but you should try to visit at least one during your visit.  Consider visiting Westvleteren, Achel, Orval or Chimay.  One word of advice, call before visiting because the monks have been known to run out of stock.
  • Breweries – Belgian brewers are proud of their craft and the majority are open to the public.  Belgium has everything from large industrial breweries to smaller, family owned ones.  If you’re interested in large breweries, be sure to visit Stella Artois in Leuven.  If you prefer the intimacy of a smaller brewery, Martens in Bocholt or Drie Fonteinen in Beersel (don’t you love the name!) are great choices.
  • Beer Pubs – If you don’t feel like doing the beer tour thing, most of the breweries do own small cafes or pubs that serve their brews.  These pubs are experts at serving beer and are often moderately priced.  A terrific way to try beers that you’ve never tasted before!

I highly recommend trying to incorporate at least one of each of these ideas into your trip to Belgium.  Belgium is a gorgeous country and your visit will definitely be enhanced by tasting the wonderful beer brewed there!

Posted by on 11/28 at 10:21 AM

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