"So You Want To Visit A Trappist Monastery" Part I: Wallonia

Due to last week's post on Belgium, we had a hankering to head into Wallonia for the weekend, see the sights, and visit the homes of our favorite brews.  Yes, we are beer snobs and not ashamed to admit it.  Yes, we may plan some tourist activities around certain brews  and we're not ashamed to admit that either.  If you've sat down for a beverage with me, you know I only order Belgian brews (unless I'm in an unworthy establishment).  If the place has an extensive Belgian selection, I will jump to the Trappist choices.  FYI, good local places for you Belgian fans in NE Ohio to enjoy or purchase the good stuff are West Point Market,  Lizardville, The Lockview, McNulty's Bier Markt (with Chimay on draft) and any Winking Lizard. The Lizard restaurants have them all except for Achel and Westvleteren.  Lizardville, the best place in NE Ohio for craft beer no matter what you prefer, is only short the Westvleteren (which can only be legally purchased and distributed from the Abbey itself).  Being the Belgian and Trappists snobs that we are, visiting all the Trappist monasteries is one of our goals.  Of course, we won't pass up a visit to one of the many other Belgian breweries either.

This past weekend we went to the three in Wallonia (the French speaking region of Belgium)- Orval, Chimay, and Rochefort.  If you too would like to visit the holy homes of the Trappist Breweries here's what you need to know.

First of all and most the important thing you need to know is that you cannot tour the actual Abbeys or the breweries.  Why?  Because the breweries are a part of operating Trappist monasteries.  The monks live a life separate from society, so obviously the general public can't just walk through six days a week snapping pictures and causing a ruckus.  If you do want to spend some time in the monasteries you are permitted to stay at some of them in spiritual retreat.  The monks of Orval welcome anyone with open arms looking for assistance, a place to stay, or spiritual advice.  Rochefort also accomodates guests in their inn, but it isn't clear what requirements they have for reservations.  Chimay runs a posh three star inn off the Abbey grounds.  You don't have any interaction with the monks at Chimay.  All of the churches at the Abbey's are open to the public for the daily Masses.
Next, keep in mind during your visit that these are spiritual places not a theme park, so show due reverance while in the churches or in the accessible areas of the Abbeys themselves.

Next, If you want to buy cheeses, bring along a cooler to keep them chilled.  If you're only in Europe for a week or so prepare to eat a lot of cheese because some of them only sell large blocks.  You can bring the cheeses back to the States with you, but they may not survive the trip and some of them are, well, quite odious.  Beers can be brought back, of course, but limit it to a total of one case or Customs may get suspicious.  If you plan on bringing back some from several places, a good choice is to get one bottle from each monastery or one of the smaller gift packages (some come with a glass).  Refer to https://help.cbp.gov for specific questions on bringing back beverages and foodstuffs from Europe.  However, most of the beers are available in the United States so you may just want to buy a glass or one of the brews only available at the Abbey.

OK, here's what you need to know about each Abbey.

Chimay

Chimay may be the most recognizable of the Trappist beers and the most widely distributed.  I have no numbers to back this up, it's just a theory.  Anyway, the Abbaye of Notre-Dame de Scourmont, brewery,  and cheese houses are located in Baileux.  Except for the church, it is not open to the Public.  If you drive up, you will only find signs for the church and the shipping and receiving areas.  We got there a little late and the lighting wasn't good for picture taking, so I don't have anything from this one.  You can visit their extensive website for images and videos by clicking this section title.  We plan on a return visit simply for picture taking, so I'll get those up at some point.

All visitors are directed to the Inn d'Poteaupre where they have a three star hotel, restaurant, interactive visitor center, and store.  The only thing you need a ticket for is the exhibition area, which we did not do as it wasn't open. The store sells all the beers and cheeses as well as kitchen supplies and kitschy little souvenirs.  The restaurant probably doesn't require a reservation but prepare yourself for loud birthday parties, less than stellar service, and an over all feeling of tacky tourism (much like one of those Amish style restaurants those of us from Ohio are familiar with).  The menu features several beer and cheese tasting options and an extensive selection of everything from burgers to pasta.  Many of the foods are made with the beers or cheese, but not very remarkable.  Honestly, the food wasn't very good at all.  The restaurant was a family friendly place with games and a playground for the kids.  If you go, I'd recommend getting a beer and cheese sampler and then head elsewhere for the main event.  You can take your menu with you which has the history or the Abbey, description of the cheeses and beers, and a selection of recipes using their beers and cheeses.  This is all available on their website.  If you do buy some of the cheese, beware, the Grand Classique and La Poteaupre we picked up are very stinky and not for the faint of heart.

One cool thing they offer are the recipes.  We made some last night for dinner and everything was delicious.  So, skip their restaurant and make your own Chimay dinner!

www.chimay.com

Rochefort

Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Saint Remy of Rochefort, located in Rochefort is the least visitor friendly of the three Wallonian Trappist Abbeys.  The 15 monks living there are notoriously secretive about their brewing process and won't let anyone in the brewery area.  You can stay in their small inn with special permission, but the average visitor will only get as far as the front gate or into the church during services.  The grounds are completely surrounded by hedges, so you really can't see anything at all.  But, you will at least get to see the gate house and church from the outside.

They do not have a visitor center or shop, so you will have to do your beer and glass buying in town (keep in mind shops are closed on Sundays).  Visit their website by clicking this section title to see a slideshow of images from inside the grounds.  There are some hiking trails in the area that we explored searching for a good view of the Abbey from above (without any luck).  We did find this nifty scene, however.

The town of Rochefort is worth a visit to see the caves, grotto, cathedral, and chateau.  You can do your beer sampling at a cafe in the town center too.  This Abbey is a must-see for Trappist enthusiasts, but for those would like a more rewarding trip head south to Orval.

Abbaye d'Orval
The first Abbey we visited was Abbaye d'Orval.  It is by far my favorite of the three (hence why I saved it for last) and the one I recommend visiting even if you aren't even interested in beer.  Orval is located in Florenville, very close to the French border.  When you arrive, there are several parking areas to choose from and expect them to be nearly full on a nice day.  Outside from the Abbey entrance is the new visitor center that has a restaurant, meeting rooms, and exhibition space.  The main entrance to visit the Abbey's grounds is beyond this area through a door in the walls.  When you pass through, you will be greeted by this beautiful scene.

Go to the left and you'll find yourself in another snazzy little visitor area with a ticket desk.  The tickets are 5.50€ and give you access to the ruins of the old Abbey; a video on the history, daily life and modern operations of the new abbey (only in French, but you can still see pictures from inside where the public isn't permitted); the Communs Abraham- the only restored building in the ruins that houses a museum on the history of the building and an exceptional exhibit on the brewery; the church museum; access to the layman's choir of the church; and the old pharmacy.

Inside the brewing exhibit.

It's worth the ticket price as the ruins are absolutely gorgeous and full of informative plaques (in English!) on the history of the old Abbey.    For example, you will learn the story and meaning of the Orval logo of the fish with the ring (or read about it here).  The museums on the brewery and Abbey have many interesting artifacts, but unfortunately the text in most of these spaces do not have an English translation.  But, the grounds themselves are the real star.

The self guided tour will take at least an hour.  You can participate in a guided tour at certain times, but only if you understand Dutch or French.  After you wander the grounds, return to the Shop where you can pick up all sorts of souvenirs from ceramics to books to rosaries.  Of course, most visitors walk away with bottles of Orval and Viel Or beer and a giant block of one of their fine cheese (I recommend the fromage a la biere).  This is also the perfect place to pick up an official Orval serving glass with which to properly enjoy your beverage.

After you leave the shop, go to the main visitor center restaurant to enjoy a glass and a sampling of cheeses.  This is the only place to have fresh draft Orval beer, and it's quite different from the bottle version.  Of course, it is served from a unique glass with a green font instead of the usual blue.  You can also get a glass of mineral water from the Abbey's natural spring (from which the beer is also made).  For more information on the the Abbey click on the above section title.  Check their website before your visit for the seasonal hours.  On one weekend a year the brewery itself is opened to the public for tours.  You have to register ahead of time and the numbers are limited.  This year, Orval will be opened September 21 & 22.  I foresee a return trip will be in order...

OK!  That's what you need to know about visiting the Wallonian Trappist Abbeys.  Hopefully, we will get up to the Flemish ones (and the lonely Dutch La Trappe) later this year.