Westmalle Abbey, Trappist monastery and brewery in Malle, Belgium.
Westmalle Abbey is a monastery complex in Belgium that includes a church, gardens, brewing facilities, and guest accommodations. The site combines religious spaces with practical areas designed for daily monastic life and hospitality.
The monastery was founded in 1794 during the French Revolution and received abbey status in 1836. Beer production began that same year and became a major part of monastic work.
The monks follow the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, dedicating their lives to prayer, contemplation, and manual labor including brewing.
The abbey offers guest accommodations in its retreat house where visitors can stay and join the monks for daily prayer services. Guests should expect a quiet stay integrated into the monastic daily rhythm.
The monastery produces three certified Trappist beers - Extra, Dubbel, and Tripel - and also makes cheese aged in the abbey cellars. These products are made using traditional methods passed down through generations of monastic life.
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