MAN Truck & Bus
Besides the pretty landscape, this area is particularly interesting for beer lovers, because here, among other things, the rare Trappist beers are produced, brewed very traditionally in abbeys. The Beer Route connects 89 breweries. Probably too many for a single trip.
1
Must Drive
The Maas Valley in the east of Belgium. Between rolling green hills and rugged rock faces, castles, palaces and cosy villages beckon.
2
Must-See
Val-Dieu Abbey, where beer is brewed within the old monastery walls, according to the old tradition and recipe of the Cistercian monks who had resided in the abbey since 1216. Their brewing tradition was revived in 1997. The beer tastes best fresh from the barrel in the abbey courtyard, accompanied by some local ham and cheese.
3
Must-Eat
Fast food? Not a chance. In Belgium, French fries are a national dish. They were supposedly invented in the 17th century in the region surrounding Dinant. The people there lived off fish, which they caught in the river Meuse and then fried. When the river froze over, potatoes were fried instead of fish. But, as with all good things, there are of course others who claim the invention for themselves.
