Westvleteren and In de Vrede

The Trappist Abbey Whose Tiny, Hard To Get Beer Is Often Ranked Among The Best In The World; The Monastery Is Closed To Visitors, But Its Own Cafe Across The Road Pours It · Westvleteren, West Flanders Province

Westvleteren is a hamlet in the hop country of West Flanders, north-west of Poperinge, and the home of the Abbey of Saint Sixtus (Sint-Sixtusabdij), a community of Trappist monks who have brewed beer here since the 19th century. Their beer is produced in small quantities, only to support the monastery, and sold without labels, and Westvleteren 12, a dark, rich quadrupel, is often ranked by beer drinkers as the best beer in the world. The monks have no wish to become a tourist attraction: the abbey itself is closed to visitors, and bottles can be bought only through a strict online reservation system. The visit is instead In de Vrede, the abbey's own cafe and shop across the road, which pours the 12, 8 and Blond by the glass and sometimes sells small gift packs. People come as a beer pilgrimage, often by bike through the hop fields from Poperinge, combined with the nearby war cemeteries. The honest caveat: it is a cafe in the countryside, not a brewery tour; you will not see the monks or the brewhouse, and the cafe has closing days.

In de Vrede cafe opposite the Abbey of Saint Sixtus, Donkerstraat, Westvleteren, north-west of Poperinge, Westvleteren, West Flanders Province, Belgium

In de Vrede, the abbey's visitor cafe opposite the monastery, usually opens most days from late morning to early evening, but it is traditionally closed on at least one weekday (long said to be Friday) and for annual holiday periods, including weeks in winter and sometimes summer - confirm on the abbey or cafe's official pages before you travel. The abbey itself is closed to visitors; the church may be open for quiet prayer only (confirm). Beer sales of whole crates happen only through the online reservation system, with pick-up at the abbey at a set time; there are no walk-in sales at the gate. Getting there: SNCB/NMBS trains run to Poperinge, usually via Kortrijk and Ypres, and Westvleteren is roughly 10 km further by bike or taxi; De Lijn buses are infrequent, so check the planner. By car it is about 1 hour 45 minutes from Brussels. Bring a designated driver.

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