The abbey and its secrets
Authenticity and quality
At 60 minutes from Hotton
Orval Abbey with its museum, brewery and cheese factory.
A visit to the ruins of the old Cistercian abbey will let you discover a place steeped in authenticity. The Mathilde fountain and its legend originate at the bottom of a valley. The guest house will transport you to the Cistercian scriptorium. Video animations on large lecterns introduce you to the history of the monastery and the life of the monastery community today (10 minutes). Animated models then introduce you to the three eras of the abbey's architecture. The interpretation circuit in the medieval ruins explains the destination of the monastic sites. Depending on your expectations, you will develop a passion for the sacred art collections and the old forges, housed in 18th century cellars. The garden with medicinal plants illustrates the use of the pharmacy with its historical objects. Artistic or thematic exhibitions are added in season.
The brewery
Orval beer is characterized by a high fermentation and a maturation time that give it its complex and fruity taste, a subtle harmony between roundness and bitterness. Since 1931, it owes its incomparable taste mainly to the quality of its water, hops and yeasts. It is based on specific hops with a high flavor that are related to Orval's first master brewer, originally from Bavaria. And the English method of dry hopping gives it a diversity of aromas while retaining the bitterness. The different stages of fermentation - combined fermentation, with the original yeast and with wild yeast, then refermentation in the bottle - require a long maturation time and numerous quality controls.
