Stairs with the Trappists and Trappistinians

The monks of the abbeys in Westmalle and Brecht are busy bees. In the Abbey of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Westmalle, the monks pray, study and work surrounded by more than a hundred dairy cows, a cheese factory and a brewery. You cannot visit the abbey, but don't worry, the doorman will sell you the tasty cheese with a smile on weekdays.

Across the road, Café Trappisten serves you the world-famous Westmalse Dubbel and Tripel. A good start - or perhaps better end - of your trip! In Brecht, the sisters in the neo-Romanesque Abbey of Our Lady of Nazareth have been manufacturing soap products using traditional methods for several decades. In the small abbey shop you can buy natural soaps, bath foam and floor soap with the appropriate name Trapp.

Another historic spot where you can poke around is Domain de Renesse in Oostmalle, with the English garden and remarkable exotic trees. The beautiful 16th century castle once hosted Emperor Charles and William of Orange - you can follow in famous footsteps here. Smaller, but no less sympathetic, is the lime pavilion in Zoersel. A multimedia show and a work of art, made from the old'village lime\\\', tell the story of the importance of this tree for the local village fabric.

This is a signposted cycling route that you can recognize on location by the hexagonal signs. Want to know more about the background of this region before exploring this route yourself? Then take a look at the inspiration page about De Kempen.

Photo copyright: Mie De Backer