TRAVEL
Belgium: Beyond Beer
From top: Ghent City Center;
Abbaye Notre-Dame d’Orval;
theMardassonMemorial and
Bastogne Historical Center.
Page 92: sunset on the
canals in the city of Bruges.
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WINTER 2011
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pairingdinnerat the trendybrasserieBelgaQueen
(there’salsoaBrusselsbranch), and thenwandered
acrossacanal to ‘tDreupelkot, oneof theworld’smost
well-stockedgeneverbars. (Genever isasortofFlem-
ishgin, oftenflavored, that is justanotchbelowbeer in
national popularity.)
Belgiansarealso fondof festivals, and judicious
planningcouldkeeponepartyinghereyear-round,
from theannualCarnival inBinche, southofBrussels,
to theelaboratelycostumedOmmegangcelebration
eachJuly inBrusselsGrandPlace.
SitesSewn
As thebattleground for twoworldwars,Belgium isalso
bigonremembrance.North, inFlanders’fields, it is
hard toremainunmovedby themute testimonyof the
manycemeterieshousing the fallensoldiers from the
GreatWar. In thesouth, theMardassonMemorialand
BastogneHistoricalCentercommemorate thosewho
fought in theBattleof theBulge inWorldWar II.
Ameditativemoment couldwell takeplaceat
AbbayeNotre-Damed’Orval,whichoffersanengaging
tourof theruinsof theoldabbeyduring thesummerand
fall, ifnotof theactiveTrappistcommunity.But the fruits
of their labors—cheeseandbeer—arealwaysavailable
atanearbyalfrescocafé,arestfulsite fromwhich toview
theabbey.Other thanaweakerversion theymake for
themselves, themonksbrewonlyoneOrvalbeer.Natu-
rally, it’soneof themostdistinctive in theworld,andafit-
tingbenediction foranyBelgianbeerexploration.
