Bruges and Beer: The Oldest Brewery on the World’s Coolest Bike Trip

Our Bike Across Belgium trip includes three amazing days in the fascinating and gorgeous city of Bruges. This town is hopping with way more than hops and barley! Ciclismo Classico’s ride, named the “world’s coolest bike trip” last year by Bicycling Magazine, surely offers an amazing itinerary across Belgium (it also includes Luxembourg) that doesn’t miss a trick.

One really special visit on the final day of this super exciting tour is a tasting at the oldest traditional brewery in Bruges. Run by the Vanneste family since 1856 (although beer has been made on the site since 1564), De Halve Maan – “half moon” in English – Brewery is the place to be in Bruges.

This family has mastered a perfect balance in flavor and drinkability without being overly strong in flavor. During our brewery visit, we get to see firsthand the live brewing process and the delicious beer being made in four state-of-the-art vats, located in the upper part of the establishment.

Curious cycling and beer enthusiasts will love to hear that the historical De Halve Maan brewery is creating an underground two-mile beer pipeline that is being built under the Medieval city of Bruges. The pipeline is expected to funnel beer from the centrally located De Halve Maan brewery to an out-of-town bottling plant, filling 12,000 bottles per hour! Read more about it in this article from The Guardian.

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