Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Floreffe
(7 rue du Séminaire, Floreffe;
&
32/81/44 53 03;
www.abbaye-de-
floreffe.be). After touring the abbey—
which belongs to a less strict order than
the Trappists—you can sample some of
the traditional beers still made at the
Abbey in an old mill on the grounds. With
that monastic model in mind, work your
way south on N92 to explore more
artisanal Belgian beers. In the picturesque
Ardennes village of Purnode (take N937
east), tour the 19th-century family-owned
brewery
Brasserie du Bocq
(rue de la
Brasserie 4, Purnode;
&
32/82/61 07 90;
www.bocq.be); their white wheat beers
and blond Triple Moine are especially fine.
In Falmignoul (take the N95 and N96 south),
check out
Brasserie Caracole
(Côte Marie-
Thérèse 86;
&
32/82/74 40 80;
www.
brasserie-caracole.be; call ahead for a
tour), housed in a rustic 18th-century stone
building; their Troublette white wheat beer
and Nostradamus dark strong ale are com-
plex and delicious.
From there, it's about an hour's drive
east on N99 to the highlight of your visit,
the
Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Scour-
mont,
where the monks have been brew-
ing Chimay beer since 1862. Though you
can't tour the brewery, drink in the serene,
contemplative atmosphere by strolling
through the abbey gardens and church.
Then head to
L'Auberge de Poteaupre,
an old school that the monks converted to
a restaurant-hotel, with plenty of freshly
brewed Chimay beers on tap.
The three Chimay beers
are color-coded—the
red label is a double
beer (7% alcohol), the
white is a triple (8%
alcohol), and the blue
Grand Reserve is a
dark strong ale (9%
alcohol). Full bodied,
with creamy heads and
velvety-smooth textures,
these are some of the
The Abbaye de Notre Dame de Scourmont,
where monks have been brewing Chimay ale
since 1862.
world's great beers—drinking them so
close to their holy source may feel like a
religious experience.
Abbaye de Notre-Dame de
Scourmont,
Route de Rond
Point 294, Chimay-Forges
(
&
32/60/21 30 63;
www.
chimay.be).
(
Brussels (138km/86
miles).
L
$$
Auberge de
Poteaupré,
Rue de Poteau-
pré 5, Bourlers (
&
32/60/21
14 33;
www.chimay.be). $
L'Auberge des Bouvignes,
Rue Fétis 112, Dinant (
&
32/
82/61-16-00;
www.aubergede
bouvignes.be).
At L'Auberge de Poteaupre restaurant
in Chimay, Belgium, visitors can sample
the town's namesake ale.
