Oct. 13-22, 2012, Itinerary to come

 and will be similar to the one below.

Lonely Monks Trappist Tour 2011

October 15-24.  Ten Days, Nine Nights.  Updated 11-2-10

We will be staying in Brussels, Bruges, Chimay, Rochefort, Tilburg (Netherlands) and Iepers.

Included are all brewery visits, museum visits, hotels, canal boat tour, ground transportation, all breakfasts, some snacks, three lunches and three dinners.  It does not include airfare or airport shuttles.

Saturday, Oct. 15 – This incredible tour begins in the afternoon in Brussels as we meet in the lobby of our centrally located hotel near the famous Grand Place at 3 p.m.  We’ll get checked in, have a little free time, then meet for our welcome dinner at one of my favorite restaurants featuring delectable cuisine a la biére and first-rate beer menu.  (Dinner)

Sunday, Oct 16 – Morning is free to explore or just sleep in.  This afternoon we’ll have a walking tour of the city, followed by more free time.  Dinner is on your own.  Later in the evening we will meet to tour some of the preeminent beer cafés in Brussels, along with some British expat beer enthusiast friends of mine, who will serve as our local experts.  These guys live and breath the Brussels beer scene. (Breakfast)

Monday, Oct. 17 – After breakfast we check out and board the train for the romantic medieval city of Bruges, where we will spend two nights.  We’ll check into our hotel, and then take a canal boat ride of Bruges.  You’ll have the afternoon to explore the cobblestoned streets of Bruges. Tonight we meet for an appetizing dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Bruges featuring cuisine a la biére and an amazing beer menu. (Breakfast & Dinner)

Tuesday, Oct. 18 – Morning is free, and then we meet for a walking tour followed by lunch and a tour at the Halve Maan Brewery. 

Wednesday, Oct. 19 – We depart Bruges in our luxury minibus and head southeast to Wallonia for our visit to Chimay.  On the way we will tour the magnificent brewery of Duvel Moortgaat in Breendonk, sample beers in their hospitality room, The Duvel Depot, then visit the adjacent Brouwershuis beer café, where locals and Duvel brewmasters rub elbows.    Then it’s off to Rochefort to see the stunning exterior of the Abbey before we transfer to the nearby and charming village of Rochefort, where we will overnight, have dinner and enjoy some Rochefort ales. (Breakfast). 

Thursday, Oct. 20 – Today we will tour the brewery at Orval and the ruins of the old abbey, then have lunch and sample Orval at a nearby cafe, the Nouvelle Hostellerie D’Orval, where they serve the rare petite Orval.  Normally, we would visit the brewery tap Auberge de l’Ange Gardien (Guardian Angel), located just a block from the Abbey, however it is under construction and being remodeled and not expected to reopen until the summer of 2011. Next stop is Chimay’s home, the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Scourmont, where we will walk the grounds and the cemetery.  Just around the corner from the Abbey is Chimay brewery tap Auberge de Poteaupre, where we will have dinner featuring cheese from the Abbey and of course the entire line-up of Chimay ales.  We will also overnight here in this bucolic setting at the Poteaupre Inn.  (Breakfast & lunch) 

Friday, Oct. 21 – Today we head north to the Achel Trappist Brewery at the St. Benedictus Abbey for a tour, tasting and lunch.  There is also a great beer retail store here, where you can stock up on beer.  Next we travel to Tilburg, Netherlands, about 45 minutes away, to tour La Trappe Brewery at the Abbey of Our Lady of Koningshoeven.  This is the most accessible and user-friendly Trappist brewery and is excellently set up for visitors.  The tour includes a movie (in English), a first-class tour, food, and of course, beer!  We will overnight in Tilburg, have dinner here and time to explore and sample some Dutch beers. (Breakfast)

Saturday, Oct. 22 – This morning we head south back into Belgium to visit the Westmalle brewery tap Café Trappisten for lunch and a tasting.  Across the street, we will see the beautiful exterior of the Abbey and its spectacular tree-lined driveway.  From there we head to Iepers, where we will check into our hotel.  You are on your own for dinner in this beautiful city with many restaurants surrounding the town square.  This evening at 8 p.m., we attend the moving Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate near the square.  Evening is free to explore.  (Breakfast & lunch)

Sunday, Oct. 23 -- Morning is free to explore the historic city of Iepers (famous for its role in WWI and history with textiles) and tour the very-moving In Flanders Field WWI museum.  After lunch on your own, we head to the Pannepot Cafe in Oostvleteren for a tasting of excellent DeStruise beers.  Then it's to our final Trappist visit, the In de Vrede Café at the Abbey of Saint-Sixtus in Westvleteren, where we’ll have our farewell dinner with the elusive, coveted and highly-rated Westvleteren ales.   You will be able to see the exterior of the cloistered Abbey.  With any luck, we’ll also be able to purchase some Westys to carefully bring home with us and savor another day.  Tonight we’ll have a late arrival at our hotel near the Brussels Airport. (Dinner)

Monday, Oct. 24 – Breakfast concludes this most memorable and satisfying Lonely Monks Trappist Tour.  Ground shuttles are available to the airport and rail station for those heading home or continuing on in Europe. (Breakfast)

(This itinerary is subject to change)