Orval Abbey
The Notre-Dame d'Orval Abbey is one of the five Belgian Trappist Abbeys
Enter this thousand-year-old abbey to discover a historic site, art collections, and a famous Trappist beer in one of the most beautiful regions of Belgium: the Gaume.
Founded in 1070, Orval Abbey is one of the most remarkable Cistercian abbeys in Belgium. Hidden in a valley, it is still home to a community of monks who invite you to discover their estate.
A visit to the ruins of the old Cistercian Abbey offers you the chance to discover a place full of authenticity, at the bottom of a valley where the Mathilde fountain and its legend gushes forth.
The Maison des Hôtes takes you into the Cistercian scriptorium. The video animations on large lecterns show you the abbey’s history and the life of the community today (10 minutes). There are animated models introducing to the three periods of the buildings’ architecture.
The interpretation tour in the medieval ruins provides information on the vocation of the monastery sites.
In the Abraham outbuildings, the secrets of Orval's beer brewing know-how can be uncovered.
Depending on your expectations, you will be fascinated by the collections of sacred art and the old forges housed in the 18th century cellars. The medicinal plant garden illustrates the uses of pharmacy with its period objects. All year round, art and thematic exhibitions are also held.
After all these discoveries, you deserve a break! Use it to try Orval, the Trappist beer recognized and prized by all lovers of hops, which is brewed within the walls of the abbey. You can also try the cheese from Orval Abbey at the Auberge de l'Ange Gardien, with its creamy uncooked paste made from whole pasteurised milk from the Gaume region.
Founded in 1070, Orval Abbey is one of the most remarkable Cistercian abbeys in Belgium. Hidden in a valley, it is still home to a community of monks who invite you to discover their estate.
A visit to the ruins of the old Cistercian Abbey offers you the chance to discover a place full of authenticity, at the bottom of a valley where the Mathilde fountain and its legend gushes forth.
The Maison des Hôtes takes you into the Cistercian scriptorium. The video animations on large lecterns show you the abbey’s history and the life of the community today (10 minutes). There are animated models introducing to the three periods of the buildings’ architecture.
The interpretation tour in the medieval ruins provides information on the vocation of the monastery sites.
In the Abraham outbuildings, the secrets of Orval's beer brewing know-how can be uncovered.
Depending on your expectations, you will be fascinated by the collections of sacred art and the old forges housed in the 18th century cellars. The medicinal plant garden illustrates the uses of pharmacy with its period objects. All year round, art and thematic exhibitions are also held.
After all these discoveries, you deserve a break! Use it to try Orval, the Trappist beer recognized and prized by all lovers of hops, which is brewed within the walls of the abbey. You can also try the cheese from Orval Abbey at the Auberge de l'Ange Gardien, with its creamy uncooked paste made from whole pasteurised milk from the Gaume region.