To the Orval Monastery – Monastery beer and wild meadows

The Abbey of Notre-Dame d'Orval, founded in 1132, is one of the most remarkable Cistercian abbeys in Belgium and the starting point of this cross-border circular hiking trail, which is about 11 km long. Although the famous brewery and the abbey itself cannot be visited, only the ruins of the former complex, the place has great tourist appeal. Particularly impressive is the unity of the listed ruins of the old abbey dating from the 12th to 13th century and the modern buildings of the new monastery complex of Orval constructed right next to them. It was not until 1926 that reconstruction of the abbey began on the foundations of the former monastery, which had been destroyed during the French Revolution. The spring, the secular rose windows, and the beautiful medicinal herb garden are among the highlights of the ruins visit. The museum displays the history of the monastery, old blacksmithing work, a model of the abbey, as well as paintings from the 18th century.