Westvleteren Abbey

The Saint-Sixtus Abbey consists of white buildings surrounded by extensive gardens, where monks maintain both religious practices and brewing operations.

The monastery traces its origins to 1814 when hop merchant Jan-Baptist Victoor established himself as a hermit in the Sint-Sixtus forests.

The monastery follows the Rule of Saint Benedict, with monks dedicating their lives to prayer, reading, and manual labor within the abbey walls.

Customers can only purchase the abbey's beer through an online reservation system, with strict limits on quantities and collection times.

The abbey's library holds 600 printed works dated before 1830 and 40,000 volumes from later periods, documenting centuries of monastic knowledge.

Location: Vleteren

Inception: 1831

Industry: brewing industry

Website: http://sintsixtus.be/fr/home.htm

GPS coordinates: 50.89594,2.72126

Latest update: May 28, 2025 05:23