This autumn, one of Belgium’s long-standing breweries will open its doors to the public for the first time on 25 and 26 September. Westmalle Trappist Brewery will welcome visitors between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm. Visit duration is one hour and thirty minutes with the last visit of the day beginning at 3:30 pm.
The brewery, officially named Abdij Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van het Heilig Hart van Jezus, is located in the village of Westmalle, east of Antwerp, and takes around an hour to reach by public transport from Antwerp Central Station.
Ticket sales began at 10:00 am on Wednesday 19 June 2024 and sold out within minutes. Luckily, there will be another opportunity next year. Proceeds on beer sales will go to Coda ABSL, a non-profit organisation specialised in supporting palliative care.
Brewing since 1836, there has been great resistance from the abbey’s residing monks to allow public visits. But now an exception has been made.
Westmalle Trappist makes an annual production of 120,000 hectolitres of its Extra, Double and Triple brews. The abbey’s resident monastic community supervises the brewery’s team of 50 laypeople, which includes 17 monks. The brewery is situated within the abbey’s walls, classifying the beers as real authentic Trappist.
The 1h30 visit includes an immersive tour of the brewery’s unique brewing process, history and traditions, followed by a tasting of Westmalle’s variety of Trappist beers. Visitors will also receive a unique gift.
The abbey also produces milk and cheese, and there will be an opportunity to purchase the Trappist beers and Westmalle cheeses along with further official products and gift sets including tasting glasses, cheese boards and more.
There are currently four Trappist breweries in Belgium but only one other brewery, Orval Abbey, is offering a similar type of visit. It is expected that around 1,500 people will attend this long-anticipated opening at Westmalle Trappist.
