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Ardennes Special (AS) |
Tour OutlineThis Ardennes Belgium beer tour covers the Ardennes region of Belgium from Liege in the north to Villers-devant-Orval in the south on the French and Luxembourg border. Probably Belgium’s most scenic area inundated with rolling hills and steeped in history from the crusader castle in Bouillon to the Battle of the Bulge (WW2), this region has also managed to retain many of its truly Artisanale breweries from the one-pot breweries of Millevertus and Fantome all the way to the larger and more established breweries at Achouffe and Orval. These tours are generally weekends with pick-up in Namur or by arrangement. We visit 2 Trappiste Abbeys during the tour as well as staying in the hamlet of Achouffe-Mont, nestled deep in the Ardennes countryside and we normally have a Belgium Beer Night at La Vieille Forge on Saturday nights. Awesome!
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From €350.00 pp/3-daysTour ItineraryWe meet in either Namur, Liege or wherever we have arranged to pick you up and start the tour! The following itinerary is an example of what we do, there are other routes we can do. Please ask. Day 1-Trappistes, Ardennes & Bouillon Crusader Castle The weekend kicks off when we pick you up from the station. We then head straight to Chimay Trappiste monastery nestled in the farming communities on the Feanch border. The drive south thorugh Namur Province is pretty awesome in itself! After looking around the grounds of the Abbey/monastery, we then have a beer and some cheese at Chimay‘s brewery tap, the Auberge de Poteaupre, great place, great beer and great ambience! We cross the border and into France travelling around Charlevilles-Mezieres and Sedan and onwards back into southern Belgium. After checking into our gorgeous hotel in Bouillon, depending on the time, we may have a chance to visit the Crusader castle, choice is yours. Or maybe just relax at L‘Estaminet bier cafe and watch the sun go down over the castle... We meet later and hae some food together at the excellent La Vieille Ardennes, straditional Ardennes food and of course some great beer! See you all in the morning. Sleep well. Overnight– Hotel de la Poste, Bouillon/Belgium Day 2 -Trappiste Abbey, Bastogne WW2, Belgium Beer Night Today is a busy day when we start the day at the amazing Trappiste monastery of Orval, probably the most interesting of Belgium‘s 6 monastic breweries. We see some serious history here, all the way from the early 1000‘s, the French Revolution and to its expansion from 1926 after donations from the De Harenne family secured its future. Awesome place. History is of little significance without the present and we soon find ourselves sat down in the L‘Auberge Guardian for some Orval beer and excellent cheese. Paradise! We can also have some lunch here. A one hour drive then finds us in the Artisanale brewery of Millevertus Brasserie in the small village of Toernich outside Arlon on the border with Luxembourg. Daniel brews some of the most interseting beers in Belgium and is a truly Artisanale brewer, still retaining the principle of doing everything by hand, incredible place. Oh, and great cheese! Next we find oursleves in Bastogne where we can visit the largest American memorial in Europe, the Mardasson Memorial just outside the town. There is also the Bastogne Historical Centre WW2. We then take the back roads to Houffalize and along the way we can see remnants of the severe fighting over the Christmas of December 1944. The Achouffe brewery tour is our last the ‘day activities‘ and after the tour and a sing song dedicated to the memory of La Chouffe (a gnome who lives in the forest of te Ardennes) we check into the 300-year old converted forgery La Vieille Forge, Mont (population 29 humans, 252 cows, 6 dogs). The evening is another ‘day’ when we have a Belgium Beer Night and beer dinner, we normally have around 40-50 Belgium beers representing every beer style Belgium has to offer! The food is also a 3-course meal cooked with beer, awesome night! The fresh Ardennes air along with the great food, open fire and of course some beer should ensure you sleep well tonight! Overnight– La Vieille Forge, Mont, Mont/Belgium Day 3 Bye bye! Optional Extras Battles and Beer See more of the Battle of the Bulge museums and history. Extend tour with Biere de Garde Special in northern France. This awesome area, renowned for the WW1 Battle of Verdun, but also of course its rich beer culture, farm breweries, chateau breweries, great area! Please speak to us. Cheers!
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Highlights> Meet the Gnomes of the Ardennes! > Bouillon Crusader Castle > Ardennes breweries
> Trappiste Monasteries > Belgium Beer Night! > Beer Dinner > Belgium‘s Highest Point > Bastogne & Mardasson WW2 Memorial > Battle of the Bulge sites > Musee de la Bataille d’Ardenne > And much much more....... |
Prices> From €350.00 for 3-days > Please email for a comprehensive quote and itinerary > Exchange rate conversions see www.xe.com Group Size> Weekends 6-8 people Minibus Travel Agents/Group Leaders> We welcome all travel agents and clubs. Please email for quotes and commissions |
