orval abbey visit

Guided tours

Group conditions.

Application form intended for groups : minimum 20 people .

Please book your (guided) visit at latest 15 days before your arrival .

Guided tours for groups can be booked between 09:30 and 16:00.

Your booking is only confirmed upon receipt of an email from the Abbey of Orval.

Guided visits can be organized but are subject to the availability of the guides.

The tour takes 1 h 30 and includes the discovery of the cistercian ruins, the Hospitality House with video animations on the history of the monastery and the life of the monastic community today, and the museum about the monastic history with its new exhibition rooms. After the tour, the visitors can still free discover the pharmacy and medicinal plants garden, as well as the museum Abraham about the brewing know-how in Orval, the Oratory of the Word and the shop. It is therefore recommended to count 2 hours presence on the site. 

Opening hours of the shop:

• Winter (November-February): 10 : 30 to 17 : 30 
• Between-season (March-May, October): 09 : 30 to 18 : 00 
• Summer (June-September): 09 : 30 to 18 : 30 

Group rates 2024 (applied from minimum 20 participants): 

• Senior (60 +) and student (from 15 years): 4€50 
• Child (7 to 14 years): 2€50
• School group / catechism group: 2€00 / child (7 to 14 years)
• Rate guide : 65€ / guide. A guide can accompany up to 50 people.

The bus driver, group leader and school and catechism group leaders enjoy a free entrance. 

Payment is made on the spot before the start of the tour, by credit card or cash.

Picnic area with shelter, available by reservation for groups: 60 places.

In application of the General Regulation on Data Protection (GDPR), which came into force on 25th of May 2018, we update our database.

Your information will remain confidential and not be shared with any third party.

At any time after your visit, you can request to be removed from our database.

Check this case to accept the internal use of your data about your booking :

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Notre-Dame d'Orval Abbey: a religious and gourmet visit

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• Notre-Dame d'Orval Abbey: a religious and gourmet visit

-1€ on the individual adult admission price

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Cafe - Shop - Car parking - Motor Home parking - Parking - Restaurant

Pets not allowed

Guide available/groups - FR - NL

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Guided tour of Orval abbey

A botany, brewing and history tour.

2 mins OF DISCOVERY

The site is shrouded in a spiritual warmth and a soothing tranquillity. Orval abbey is one of the region's must-see features. During the holiday season, a guide can be found every hour under the big oak tree to take you on a journey through history amid the ancient stone. Nothing is left out, so you won't be disappointed. The tour begins with a short, well-mounted film explaining monastic life and the site's history. For two hours, the ancient Orval abbey reveals its secrets. It is a real gem, rooted and carefully arranged in its natural setting. Right down to the Mathilde fountain, the decor in ruins gives the site a relaxing, timeless charm.

The medicinal garden is an invitation to wander but is also of great interest. The plants are arranged in groups according to their medicinal virtues: digestive, respiratory, neurological, etc.. The ancient traditional pharmacy is still there, as it was in the 18th-century at the time of Antoine Perrin, the apothecary monk.

The abbey's ancient vaulted cellars now house various exhibitions recounting the life of devotion of the monks and the art of brewing. This very interesting art is also full of flavour! For many, the highlight of the tour is the finale in the form of a tasting session.

At the boutique you can purchase Orval's world-famous Trappist beer as well as some cheese of the same name. Be aware that, because of the rarity of this beer, you'll only be able to buy a small quantity. The monks do indeed like to keep their precious secret! A stone's throw away, you can stop at the Ange Gardien inn for an Orval Vert draught beer, which is served here and nowhere else! The menu of local dishes is also worth trying, featuring the theme (and taste) of Orval.

See all photos

More information

Orval, n°1, B-6823 Villers-devant-Orval Tel.: +32 (0) 61 31 10 60 www.orval.be

Abbaye d'Orval Orval Abbey

Chug 18th century history in the ruins of the Trappist monastery with a glass of authentic Trappist beer.

Come by to Abbaye d'Orval to see 18th century ruins, a medicinal herb garden, and a history museum too. Also, beer! There’s plenty to do and see at the abbey.

Known for their authentic Trappist beer . Orval started brewing Trappist beer in 1931, so it might not be one of the first but it’s one of the most interesting sights to see for the ruins. The beer, of course, is brewed locally. The beer is made in the traditional Belgian way by refermenting in the bottle. The brewery is only open to visitors on special Open Door days. Take a 1 hour visit to the brewery!

Monastery museum

Full of history! Abbaye Dorval's museum takes you through the history of the monastery with pieces of the original 12th century abbey recreated. Stone artifacts, art and more are all on display. A lot of the art is from the art deco days, when monk life was trendy again. But there’s some older gems too like the goldsmithing work by an actual 18th century monk Friar Arman Robin.

• Hospitality house : see the history of Abbaye d'Orval animated. No boring, dull info panels to trawl through info to get to the good stuff. Instead, watch a 10 min animated video and see the screens throughout for more.
• Welcome to the Scriptorium where monks would write and copy out books. Yup, before the days of the eBook and even the printing press publishing was real slow.
• Pharmacy museum: right next to the garden, this little museum recreates the 18th century abbey dispensary. Back then one of the monks, Friar Antoine Perrin, was known for making lots of medicine. See all the tools they used back then.
• Herb garden: check out the charming herb garden to see what healthcare was like before modern medicine. It’s not all bad, really. The plants are all labelled so you learn what they’re for if you’re into that sort of thing. It’s quite pretty to see in the summer when the plants look their best in the sunshine.

Tips and Tricks

• Have lunch while you’re there, plenty of picnic tables around Orval Abbey
• Book a guided visit on their website: only for groups of 20 or more. Tour lasts 2 hours, 60€ euros for the guide
• Check their website to see the brewery open days

Getting There

• By Car: parking available on site
• By Bus: 10 min walk from bus stop ORVAL Carrefour. Bus 24 stops here

Address: Orval 1, 6823 Florenville, Belgium

Nov - Feb, open everyday, 10:30 to 17:30

Mar - May, Oct, open everyday, 9:30 to 18:00

Jun - Sep, open everyday, 9:30 to 18:30

All seasons

Adults 7€, Kids 3€, special discount rates available

Open; national COVID measures apply.

Book a nearby experience

• Visit Abbaye d'Orval Visit the brewery at Abbaye d'Orval READ MORE

Abbaye Notre Dame d'Orval

Top choice in The Ardennes

A Cistercian monastery since 1132, Orval's abbey complex was wrecked in 1793 by anti-religious French Revolutionary soldiers. Rebuilding only started in the early 20th century, part funded by the Trappist beers that have become its trademark. The evocative ancient ruins were conserved and can still be visited along with an 18th-century pharmacy room, the grave of King Wenceslas (1337–83), a medicinal herb garden and an informative museum section that focuses on the beers and their advertising since 1931.

There's also a 20-minute audiovisual on monastic life (in French/Dutch). The brewery section is closed to visitors except for two days in mid-September (book way ahead). However, visitors are welcome to attend offices in the monastery, and it's also possible to stay here (by arrangement) as part of a spiritual retreat (email [email protected]), during which you’re encouraged to join in the daily cycle of prayers.

Get In Touch

061 311 0 60

https://​www​.orval​.be​/

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Road Trips around the World

Discover the World, one road trip at a time! 

Let's visit the Orval Abbey – Belgium

Belgium is a beautiful and diversified country. I really had no idea, until  I started exploring lesser know areas. The Orval Abbey was one of the first place I went to and I loved it!

The Orval Abbey is located in the South of Belgium, a stone throw from the French border and an easy drive from Luxembourg.

It is located in a quiet and charming valley, surrounded by luxuriant forests, small lakes and peaceful little villages. The Gaume region is so green, so pleasant, that it makes you want to slow down and admire. Every little path you see on the side of the roads you want to try, every villages you want to stop and admire…. Well maybe that’s just me! But it is for sure a part of Belgium that is worth exploring.

A touch of history

The first monks settled in Orval, in the early 11th century, and erected the first church. They were replaced by a small community of Canons (another religious order) who was able to complete the construction work, begun by their predecessors. In 1124, the completed church was consecrated. In 1132, seven monks under the leadership of Constantin arrived at Orval from Trois-Fontaines. Monks and Canons formed a single community and adapted the buildings to Cistercian usages. The new church was completed before 1200.

But the Abbey of Orval has a long history of construction, destruction and reconstruction, which started not long ago, after it was first built:

Around 1252, the monastery was destroyed by a fire; the rebuilding took around 100 years.

In 1637, during the Thirty Years’ War, the abbey was pillaged and burnt by French mercenaries.

In 1793, during the French Revolution, the abbey was completely burnt down by French armies (again!), and the community dispersed.

In 1887, the land and ruins were acquired by the Harenne family and donated to the Cistercian order in 1926, so that monastic life could resume on the site.

Between 1926 and 1948, the new monastery was constructed, and in 1935 Orval regained the rank of abbey.

The Orval history explains why the site is divided into 2:

– The ruins of the cistercian church and monastery that you get to visit as well as a few other buildings, including the museum.

– The actual monastery that you can glimpse at from certain areas but that you do not get to visit (this includes the brewery).

Come along and enjoy the visit:

The entrance of the Orval Abbey

The newest par of the monastery which can not be visited

The courtyard before the ticket hall

The beginning of the visit. This building hosts art exhibition as shown on the picture below.

The view of the cistercian abbey (with the newest church in the background)

The view of the newest building of the abbey

View of the cistercian abbey (with the newest church in the background)

Sitting under this old tree is so relaxing.

The herbs garden with explanation of the medicinal use of the plants

Behind the herbs garden, you can enter the building and see a gallery of medicinal cabinets. I love those old bottles!

Although you can not visit the brewery, there is a building that you can visit which gives lot’s of information on the art of making beer and some info on the history of the site. By it’s side, you will find the Mathilde water fountain.

Let’s walk around the church:

The burial is the burial of Wenceslaus I, Duke of Luxembourg

The Cloister 

Now let’s go to the museum.

The museum’s prime originality lies in its location, as its collections are housed in vaulted cellars dating from the 18th century.

It is super cool (temperature wise!) inside. Perfect on a hot sunny day!

The Museum entrance by the vaulted corridor

Some cellars are not accessible, except to the monks!

The visit is already over and it’s time to head back.

The entrance building

We still had a bit of time to stop by the gift shop and we didn’t resist… we bought some beer!! 

Trappist beers contain residual sugars and living yeast, and, unlike conventional beers, will improve with age.   These have become quite famous and are considered by many beer critics to be among the finest in the world. The Orval beer can only be bought at the Abbey and quantities are limited by person. Extremely popular! The queue to purchase can be very long…

The Orval Abbey is a great place to visit. Embrace it, find a little place where you can contemplate, meditate or prey if you feel like it. It has been a place of devotion for centuries and if you pay attention, you will feel it.

To know before you go

The ffficial web site: www.orval.be

Very interesting website which gives details of the history of the Abbey, of the beer and cheese making tradition, and of course all the necessary infos on opening hours, access, and stay.

As indicated above, the brewery is not part of the regular visit. But it seems that every now and then, you can actually visit, although reservation is required and you have to be fast to secure a place.

A word of advise:

Hoards of tourists, who might have sampled a little bit too many Belgium beers, will come by bus every now and then. Be patient, they don’t stay for too long and after a while you will find the piece and quietness you are looking for.

The Gaume region is simply gorgeous. Get off the highway and drive on the small roads through typical villages and lush forests, you won’t regret it.

Next i will take you to the avioth basilica. a little surprise , if you’re in belgium you might also want to visit the han caves , which are not that far., pin this before you go.

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