Friday 24 August - Monday 27 August 2012 - 4 Day Tour
We have once again secured the services of our friend and Archaeologist, Dave Buckley to act as guide on our popular annual Beer & Heritage Tour. This year we are based in the historic city of Leuven at the luxury Novotel. Commandery Alden Biesen, Bilzen.
Here are the highlights of the Tour arrangements so far, but we are still working on this Tour and will add further visits early in 2012:
- A fully guided visit* of the beautiful castle and Commandery Alden Biesen at Bilzen, built by The Teutonic Order of monks who nursed wounded Crusaders.
- A fully guided tour* of the Flemish Coal Mining Museum Vlaams Mijnmuseum at Beringen which commenced mining in 1901 and where the last truck of coal came to the surface in 1989. The mine was subsequently turned into this fascinating Museum and visitors are guided round by an ex-miner.
- An extended visit to Palm Brewery at Steenhuffel. This will include at introductory film*, tour of the brewery*, a look round the famous stud farm for Palm's Brabant Draught Horses at Diepensteyn Castle* and finally a taste of their beers!*. This is followed by a meal at the brewery tap Brouwershuis across the road.
- A visit to Herkenrode Abbey* with an audio guide in English for their exhibition on the abbey. We will also have a tutored beer tasting* and explanation of Herkenrode beer, we will taste two of their beers* together with a tasting of their Abbey Cheese with herbs*.
- Drop in for a beer and meal at the excellent new Kunstemaecker just outside Veurne. Although they only have around 60 beers available every one is a cracker with some very rare beers for the area including a draught lambic.
Herkenrode Tripel Abbey Bier. Belgian National Mine Museum at Beringen.
Included in the cost of this Tour are:
- Hotel accommodation and breakfasts.
- Luxury coach travel on a 49 seater coach with toilet.
- Pick up from Ipswich (Crown Street Layby), Colchester (Southway Chapel St South Layby) or Chelmsford (The Woolpack, Mildmay Road). Arrangements can be made for different joining points on the way to Folkestone or even on the other side of the channel.
- All Brewery visits, tours and brewery beer tastings.
- Entrance fees to attractions, museums and historical sites.
- All other items marked with an asterisk on the individual detailed tour itinerary.
- Copies of Podge’s City Bar guide and Map for the town or city where we stay or spend some time on Tour.
- Free still and sparkling water on the coach.
Brabant Draught Horses from Palm Brewery.
Tour Price: Held at last year's prices! £380 per person based on sharing in a twin or double room.
Single Supplement: Held at last year's prices! £94. If you are travelling alone and want to share a room with another traveller please contact Podge as we are regularly able to pair up travellers in twin rooms to avoid the need for payments of Single Supplements.
All detailed itinerary times are local and approximate. All food and drink (apart from those marked with an asterisk on the detailed itinerary) and all passport and insurance costs are each traveller's responsibility. Personal insurance is not included in the Tour price, but is strongly advised, as is carrying the European Health Insurance Card available online, by phone or via the Post Office.
If you would like to join us or have any questions please call Podge on 01245 354677 or send Podge an email. Please also contact Podge to get details of how to send a deposit of £100 per person for this Tour. Full balance payable 5 weeks before departure.
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