Villers-devant-Orval
About this Place
Villers-devant-Orval is a small village in Wallonia, close to the French border, best known for its association with the Abbey of Notre-Dame d'Orval, one of Belgium's celebrated Trappist abbeys.
Despite the name, the abbey is not actually in the village. It stands separately in a secluded, wooded valley a few kilometres away. Visitors heading for the abbey should follow the clear signs directly to the monastery rather than the village itself.
The modern brewery sits within the abbey complex, continuing a much older association between brewing and monastic life at Orval. But this is more than simply the place where a famous beer happens to be made: the Cistercian ruins, working monastery and peaceful surroundings give Orval a strong sense of place that is inseparable from the beer carrying its name.
