This Tour of Flanders Lets You Sleep at Breweries

Among Flanders’ medieval cities, quiet villages and stretches of flat countryside you’ll find a rich beer-making culture. The region’s brewing heritage dates back to the 12th century, when drinking water was often contaminated, and monks would craft ales to provide parishioners with safe hydration. Ten years ago, Belgian beer culture was added to Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Now, a few breweries double as places to spend the night — a great excuse for a pilgrimage dedicated to Flanders’ favourite tipple.

For some context, start at Belgian Beer World in the heart of Brussels. Housed in the neoclassical Stock Exchange building, La Bourse, the interactive museum takes you through the history of beer culture in the country. Along with tastings as you wend your way through the site, a visit culminates with a final drink at the rooftop bar, which overlooks the city’s main square, the Grand-Place.

Easily accessible by train from the capital, Het Anker in the medieval city of Mechelen offers stays in one of the country’s oldest operating breweries. The former stockroom has been divided into 22 industrial rooms, where the bedside tables are fashioned from beer crates. The atmosphere is convivial, with a hostel-style lounge, a kitchen and a vending machine selling bottles brewed on site. Dine at the brasserie for traditional dishes like bitterballen (deep-fried balls of meat stew), then go to the patio to watch the sun set between silver grain silos.

Around the corner is Mechelen’s Great Beguinage, one of 13 Unesco-listed medieval neighbourhoods in Belgium where unmarried, independent women could live. Stroll below its sloped roofs before exploring the rest of the city, once home to the formidable Margaret of Austria, a Habsburg who shaped the region in the early 16th century. Learn about her on a tour with Visit Mechelen, passing Grote Markt square. Here, you’ll find the 13th-century Saint Rumbold’s Cathedral and its self-playing carillon, whose hammer-operated bells ring out every few minutes.

A 30-minute train journey takes you to Leuven, the unofficial beer capital of Flanders, home to famed brewer Stella Artois. This university city has a thriving student pub culture, not to mention modern restaurants like Hop Gastrobar, which has an open kitchen and a beer list as long as a dictionary. Opt for a fruity Oude Rhubarbe Tilquin à l’Ancienne, which pairs beautifully with the barbecued white asparagus.

After lunch, hire a bike from local tour operator Leuven Leisure and head out on one of five bike-to-brewery trails. One of the shorter routes brings you to the rolling fields of the Haacht municipality, home to Kraneveldhoeve, a centuries-old farmhouse and brewery hotel. Sip refreshing Dormaal Saison in the tasting room, dominated by an antique wooden bar, before bedding down below timber beams.

With extra time, consider heading to Ghent, just over an hour away by train, then taking the bus to Evergem, a quiet municipality outside of the city. Surrounded by farmland in the hamlet of Ertvelde, microbrewery Hopspot offers stays in white-brick rooms. Owned by Brouwerij Van Steenberge, a brewery founded in 1784, its bar and brasserie support local farmers and producers. You can also brew your own beer during a day-long workshop, making use of a variety of Belgian yeast, malts and hops — a perfect end to your trip.