ORVAL ABBEY MONASTERY
Belgium Trappist Beer of the Semois Valley
Beer
was invented by a monk, so its natural some of the world’s
best beers remain associated with monks, though the relationship of drinking
beer to pious devotion and prayer remains a little hazy. But if one is
devoted to beer with a religious fervor, the Trappist Beers of Belgium
are perhaps the Holy Grail. To be called a Trappist beer, the product
must be brewed at a Trappist monastery,
of which there are only seven
in the world, six
in Belgium and one in
Holland. The first Trappist Beer to be widely available was from the
Trappist Monastery at Orval in southeast
Belgium, just north of the French Alsace border where the Semois River,
popular for kayaking winds in tight bends through the low, thick forested
hills of the Ardennes, a region called the “Valley of Gold” from
a legend where an Italian countess lost her ring in the Semois and it
was returned to her by a fish from the river.
Trappist
monks are an offshoot order of Cistercians (see Abbey
Fontenay and Abbey
Vauluisant Music Festival),
distinctively recognized for their black and white robes. The original
Abbey at Orval dates
from
the days of the Crusades. In fact it was near Orval at Bouillon that
Godfrey of Bouillon marched off to the First Crusade, and whose castle
fortress still tower on a cliff over
the village. First begun
by a group of wandering Italian monks and
later expanded by the Cistercians
in the 12th Century, a magnificent Gothic abbey and associated housing
and farming structures were built. The abbey cathedral was gutted by
a fire in the 13th Century never fully recovered and destroyed after
in the reformation. A modern abbey and monastery
were
constructed in the 1920's and today the monastery at the
Abbaye Notre-Dame
d'Orval
is an active and thriving monastic enclave of Trappist Cistercians.
Visiting
the Abbey Notre Dame at Orval it is possible to wander through the
wonderful ruins of the ancient
Gothic original
which once comprised a massive complex of buildings built of distinctive
yellow ochre colored stone called "Pierre de France". Posted
placards describe the life and activity of the old monastery and short
film
displays the
history of the Abbots of Orval. The current Notre-Dame Abbey of Orval
stands next the ruins of the old, in a beautiful almost collegiate
campus with the daily monastic activities constantly
though nearly silently present,
a
fascinating comparison of a historic lifestyle with a continuing traditions.
One
of those traditions is the beer. The Orval Trappist beer is brewed
on the grounds of the monastery, but is a separate organization, though
the income from the brewery goes solely to support the monastery order
and charity activities in the area. The Orval beer is a pale orange
color of a complex smoky and smooth malt flavor, with a thick almost
fluffy
head.
The
beer can
be
purchased at the monastery, but there is no drinking on the premises.
A small restaurant is located outside the gate just off the property.
The Orval Trappist beer can also be enjoyed in restaurants of the region.
For touring beer breweries in Belgium a map of Beer routes can be had
from the Belgium tourism offices. A website for Belgian
Beer Routes (in French and Dutch) with an email address available.
The next closest Trappist brewery is about an hour north at the Abbey
of St. Remy in Rochefort.
Visiting Orval Abbey
The
Abbey Notre Dame d’Orval also produces its own brand of cheese,
available mostly in Belgium and France and should you feel the draw of
the monastic life, it is possible to stay in a guest house at the Orval
monastery from 2 to 7 days. Not to be confused with a hotel, the guest
rooms at the monastery are available to the public, for groups, individuals,
men and women, in the spirit a “quiet” reflection. Silence
is expected in the guest house and monastery grounds. Meals are taken
in silence as well. So, if you’ve ever wondered what a monk's life
is like this is the place. There is not a set price, but a donation of € 33
per day for adults; € 25 for young people is suggested. Guests are
requested to bring their own towels and sheets or sleeping bag. Sheets
can be rented for € 8. Guests at Orval monastery are invited to
participate in prayers and are allowed to ask one of the monastic Brothers
for spiritual guidance. In summer, a week-long retreat guided by one
of the Orval Brothers is offered.
If an overnight stay is
prayerful silence is not your style nearby Bouillon offers a number
of hotels
along the river like the Best Western La Porte De France where
you can drink from Orval’s unique beer
glass to your heart’s content. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Find best hotel and travel deals in The Ardennes on TripAdvisor
Web Info
Orval
Abbey and Brewery
Bouillon
Tourism
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London to Brussels Eurostar
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SEE ALSO:
DURBUY
- QUAINT TOWN ON THE OURTHE RIVER
AMERICAN MILITARY CEMETARIES IN FRANCE
WWI
BATTLEFIELDS OF THE SOMME
EUROSTAR
LONDON / PARIS
HALVE-MANN
BREWERY TOUR – BRUGES
