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St. Bernardus Brewery, Watou – De Helleketel loop from Helleketelbos

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St. Bernardus Brewery, Watou – De Helleketel loop from Helleketelbos

Easy

4.7

(28)

162

hikers

St. Bernardus Brewery, Watou – De Helleketel loop from Helleketelbos

01:58

7.47km

70m

Hiking

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

Last updated: April 30, 2026

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3.45 km

St. Bernardus Brewery

Highlight • Pub

In the heart of the hop region, beer is made that appeals to the imagination of many beer lovers. Since 1946 they have been brewing the St-Bernardus beers in Watou: dark and blond beers with top fermentation. If you visit the brewery, be sure to settle down in the rooftop bar 'Bar Bernard'. There you can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of 'Le Plat Pays' with a snack and drink.

Due to work in the production environment, following the installation of a new filling and packaging line, there will be no guided tours of the brewery in 2022. The ambition is to open a completely new visitor experience in the spring of 2023, where you can discover the story behind the beer at your own pace. The rooftop bar and the shop will remain open during the works.

100% West Flemish regional products: St. Bernardus White, St. Bernardus Tripel, Watou Tripel, St Bernardus Abt12, St Bernardus Christmas Ale, St Bernardus Pater 6, St Bernardus Prior 8

Source: toerismepoperinge.be/nl/brouwerij-sint-bernardus

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3.54 km

St. Bernardus Brewery, Watou

Highlight • Pub

The brewery was founded in 1946 by Evarist Deconinck, who had taken over the cheese dairy in Watou from the Trappist fathers of the Abbey on Mont des Cats (Northern France) since the 1930s. He had entered into a contract with the Trappist fathers of the Saint-Sixtus Abbey of Westvleteren, who had decided not to commercialize their beer themselves anymore. The Polish master brewer of the Westvleteren Abbey transferred to the new brewery, where the Sint-Sixtus beer was brewed from then on. The abbey only brewed on a small scale for its own use. In 1959, Deconinck decided to stop cheese production and focus entirely on brewing. In the early sixties, his son-in-law Guy Claus joined the brewery, and in 1962 the license to brew the Trappist beer was extended for 30 years. In 1992, this agreement was terminated because the Trappist breweries had decided that only beers brewed within the walls of the abbey would receive the Authentic Trappist Product label. The beers were continued to be brewed by the brewery according to the original recipes under the name St. Bernardus. The three existing ones (Pater 6, Prior 8, and Abt 12) were expanded with St. Bernardus Tripel. As Guy Claus was approaching retirement age, a suitable successor was sought and found in Hans Depypere. New beers were added to the range, Watou Tripel, St. Bernardus witbier, and Grottenbier (the latter two developed in collaboration with Pierre Celis). In 2023, a new production hall with a bottling plant, a laboratory, additional storage space, and an experience center were opened.

nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brouwerij_Sint-Bernardus

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