Chimay
About this Place
Chimay is a small historic town in the province of Hainaut, close to the French border, but its famous Trappist name really leads a little further into the surrounding countryside. A few kilometres away, on the Scourmont plateau, stands the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Scourmont, home of Chimay beer and cheese.
Trappist monks from Westvleteren settled on what was then wild plateau land here in 1850. They established not only a monastery but a farm, brewery and cheese dairy, creating work and economic activity in the surrounding area. That relationship between monastery, products and place remains an important part of Chimay's identity today.
The town itself, with its château and historic centre, and the wooded countryside around Scourmont make this a destination with rather more to offer than its famous blue, red and white beer labels might suggest.
Visitor notes
The brewery itself remains firmly behind the monastery walls, but that does not mean visitors are kept at arm's length. Scourmont Abbey's church and gardens can be visited throughout the year, while nearby Espace Chimay provides the public introduction to the beer, cheese and Trappist story.
The interactive Chimay Experience explains how the beers and cheeses are made before inviting visitors to continue on foot to the abbey, around 10–15 minutes away. Allow roughly an hour and a half for the exhibition and abbey together. The brewery cannot be entered, but a virtual visit provides a glimpse behind the doors.
Back at Espace Chimay, the Auberge de Poteaupré provides the rather important practical part of the education. This century-old inn is now a restaurant, bar and hotel specialising, unsurprisingly, in Chimay beers and cheeses; Chimay itself describes the atmosphere as reminiscent of an English pub. The experience can therefore conclude with a draught Chimay and the opportunity to discover whether the comparison survives contact with an actual English visitor.
There is also a Chimay Shop at Espace Chimay selling beers, glasses and other Chimay products. Taken together with the abbey, surrounding countryside and historic town, Chimay works best as a destination rather than simply a brewery stop.
Dogs can join you in the town and surrounding countryside, but not for the full Chimay experience: pets are not permitted inside the Chimay Experience or the Auberge de Poteaupré. If travelling with a dog, plan accordingly.