Orval is one of the few monasteries worldwide authorized to produce authentic Trappist beer for public sale.
The brewery uses water exclusively from the Mathilde Fountain located within the monastery walls.
The monastery was founded in 1071 by Benedictine monks from Calabria, Italy.
The site includes a medicinal herb garden reconstructed to reflect 18th-century botanical knowledge.
The current abbey church is a 1926 construction, designed to reflect the proportions of the original 12th-century structure.
The abbey's beer bottle design, featuring a trout with a gold ring, refers to a local legend involving Countess Mathilde of Tuscany.
The abbey ruins represent the only significant Cistercian remnants in the region dating back to the 12th century.
The monastery operates an internal pharmacy museum that highlights the historical importance of monastic health care.
Abbaye d'Orval is a Cistercian monastery situated in the Belgian Ardennes, notable for its active brewing operation and 12th-century ruins. The current monastic buildings were reconstructed in the 1920s following the destruction of the medieval abbey during the French Revolution. Visitors explore the site via a structured path that traverses the medieval ruins, the medicinal herb garden, and the museum housed in the old cellars. The monastery is world-renowned for Orval Trappist beer, which is brewed within the enclosure under the supervision of the monks. The onsite pharmacy museum documents the history of medical practices once conducted by the monastic community. The site functions as a living religious space where a community of Cistercian monks continues to reside. The architecture blends Romanesque foundations with 20th-century neo-Gothic revival elements. The grounds include a natural spring, the Fontaine Mathilde, associated with the abbey's founding legend.
The reflection of the monastery ruins in the small pond within the main courtyard.
Purchase Orval beer or local cheese at the A l'Ange Gardien tavern located just outside the abbey gates.
Allow time to walk through the adjacent forest trails, which offer extensive views of the valley.
Check the official website for specific annual dates when the brewery may be open for rare public viewing events.
Do not attempt to enter the monastic enclosure, which is strictly reserved for the resident monks and is off-limits to the public.
The abbey is closed annually for several weeks during the winter season; visitors should check the official calendar for winter closure dates.
Respect the silence in areas designated for monastic prayer and keep noise levels low in the ruins.
