Orval

A couple of weeks ago we experienced a rare beautiful sunny Sunday, as all Spring days should be. Hence we took off through the rolling pastures and forests of the Ardennes to the west of here, destination Orval. We were accompanied by any number of midlife-crisis Harleys and an almost operatic accompaniment of Ducatis and high revving Japanese bikes.

Orval Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1132 which has a rich history involving the Priory of Sion, the Knights Templar, buried treasures, gold ring retrieving trout and Nostradamus.

It is an operating monastery which provides the monks, who chose this Cistercian vocation, a “life which is ordinary, obscure and laborious”. To laymen, their best known labours involve the production of its Trappist beer, the profits from which go to charity. This thought tends to augment the feeling of benevolence whilst consuming this lovely beer.

Although the monastery itself is closed to the public, the extensive ruins of the medieval abbey are open as is the museum in the undercroft of the church, the beer museum and the gardens. Another bonus - there is a seniors’ discount on the entry fee!

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