One thing that is legendary about Belgium is its beers. From the Trappist beers made to strict rules by monks in Belgium, to more hipster beers made in Belgium's cities, there is so much variety when it comes to Belgian beers. But did you know that Belgian beer has to fit very specific guidelines to be considered authentic? This protects the reputation of what is considered to be a quality product: and ensures that many people travel every year to sample Belgian beer in its native country!
So when we were in Belgium, we were certain that we wanted to try some Belgian beer, and learn a bit more about how it is made. But we weren't really sure where to start, to enjoy our experience whilst ensuring that the products we consumed were entirely plant-based and cruelty free. Lucky for us, we found The Bruges Beer Experience, a place that helped us to achieve all of our Belgian beer dreams!
Is The Bruges Beer Experience vegan friendly?
Yes! Though this wasn't made entirely clear on their website, so we contacted them to double check. The staff at The Bruges Beer Experience assured us that, as long as we didn't order any of the non-vegan food on their cafe menu, our experience at their museum - including sampling anything from their extensive range of Belgian beers, would be entirely vegan!
How was our experience in the museum?
The Bruges Beer Experience was really cool! Without giving too much away, throughout the exhibition you learn a lot: we found out about what goes into Belgian Beers (and no other ingredients are allowed be included, to ensure that the beer stays pure!) We also learned tonnes about the history of beer, and about the diversity of beers all around the world.
One thing that I particularly loved about The Bruges Beer Experience was how interactive it was. When you buy your tickets, you are handed a tablet and headphones: scan items around the exhibition and commentary and information in your chosen language is provided. This felt like a really great way to cater for all languages, without having too much information spread around the museum... and there was also the opportunity to take part in a quiz too! Less high-tech, but no less interactive and fun, were the multi-sensory exhibits: I loved being able to touch and smell different beer ingredients, it was so much fun! There's enough going on here that it would be great for kids, as well as grown ups - it's impressive that they've made this topic so suitable and fascinating for all!
How were the beers?
There are two choices when it comes to an adult ticket: a museum visit without beer tasting cost €12, while a ticket with beer tasting costs €18. For the extra €6, you are entitled to three 15cl tasting glasses of beer from the tasting menu: and there were so many to choose from!
After we had enjoyed the museum, Mike and I decided to share our tasting tokens, so that between us we were able to try six beers. From the menu, we chose six very different beers, including a Trappist beer, a blonde beer, a fruit beer, a wheat beer, and more! We sampled them from darkest to lightest - and though we're not really beer people, we both found several beers that we really liked! Saying that though, there were some that we really didn't like - but this is the great thing about trying a few, you're sure to find one that is perfect for you!
What were our lasting impressions of the Bruges Beer Experience? Would we go back?
This was a really excellent place to spend an afternoon; and we spent even more time sampling the beers, and having a very pleasant few hours in the bar-cafe. Though we wouldn't necessarily go back to the exhibition, this is just because we have visited already and learned all about it: we would definitely recommend that anyone visiting Bruges checks it out! Moreover, if you're up for some beer samples, we thought that for an extra €6 the sampling experience was great value, and great fun!
Recommendations
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Where should I stay?
Bruges may be a pretty expensive place to visit, but the city has plenty of cost-effective solutions too. Lybeer Travellers' Hostel prides itself on its friendly, homely atmosphere: you'll feel really at home in their clean and comfortable private and dorm rooms. Snuffel Hostel, meanwhile, has simple, modern rooms - again, a choice of dorms and privates are offered, with a really convenient location.
Tours & Experiences
Bruges is a beautiful place, with so much history. Many people like to include a visit to Flanders Fields while visiting Belgium, and this trip to the WWI battlefields offers a poignant experience with lots of opportunities to learn about the history here and pay your respects to the fallen soldiers. Or if that's not for you, check out some of the top-rated Viator tours below!
Please note that the tours displayed below are automatically selected for their popularity by Viator, not chosen or recommended by us. Please check whether any food or drink based tours are suitable for your dietary requirements before booking!
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