Podge’s Belgian Beer Tours

Christmas in Leuven 2024

Tuesday 24 December – Saturday 28 December 2024

We love Belgium (and winter beers) at Christmas and we love taking a coach full of like-minded people. For Christmas 2024 we are based in the lovely city of Leuven in Flemish Brabant. Our hotel for our five day, four night Tour is the very centrally based Penta Hotel, from where we will explore Belgium at Christmas-time.

Leuven is a great beer city, as you can see from Podge's Leuven Bar Guide which gives an idea of the hand-picked beer bars we have included on the map within a walk of the hotel. Leuven also has 'the longest bar in Europe' which is the Oude Markt in which square almost every building is a bar. We will manage to fit in a brewery visit or two, some great meals in top beer/restaurants and plenty of visits to interesting cafes across Flanders. All from the comfort of our luxury 49 seater coach. Join us.

We are based in Chelmsford in Essex and we use a UK hired coach to travel. We try to use Le Shuttle (Eurotunnel) from Folkestone to get to and from Belgium, but if not available we go by ferry from Dover to Calais. Most of our Travellers join the Tour at our main pick up point outside The Woolpack Pub, 23 Mildmay Road, Chelmsford CM2 0DN and most come from other parts of the UK, and some from further afield, especially USA. Lots of our Travellers stay the night before a Tour (and often the night of our return) at Chelmsford Travelodge only a few minutes walk from The Woolpack or at the Premier Inn near the Railway Station, about a 10 minute walk to the pick up point at The Woolpack. We all usually pop in to The Woolpack the night before departure for a meet, greet and a few beers with Siobhan who is your Tour Manager, Tour Guide and drinking pal for the duration.

A group brewery tour, at the Kroon Brewery, with Freddy Delvaux.

Our Galloways luxury coach (49 seater coach with toilet) starts from Suffolk and on the way to Folkestone or Dover, depending on the availability of Le Shuttle, we are increasingly travelling by ferry from Dover. We pick up at several points, as agreed with Siobhan, as below:

Ipswich, Bus Stop, Tesco Store, Pinewood, Ipswich IP8 3TS.

Colchester, McDonald's, Tollgate West, Stanway, Colchester C03 8RG

Chelmsford, The Woolpack, 23 Mildmay Road, CM2 0DN.

Dartford, BP Garage (formerly Esso) 474 Princes Road, DA1 1YT. On the return leg we drop off at Dartford Railway Station DA1 1DR

Swanley, Unit 4, Moreton Industrial Estate, London Road, BR8 8DE.

Ashford, pull in Outside Dobbies Garden Centre, Opposite Premier Inn, Ashford Eureka Leisure Park, Rutherford Road, Ashford, Kent, TN25 4BN.

Folkestone, Shell Garage, Stop 24 Services, J11, M20, Kent, CT21 4BL.

We are booked in on the ferry crossing departing Dover at 10.05hrs outbound and 19.00hr on the return leg from Calais.

This Tour is currently being built so keep an eye on this web page or subscribe to our monthly email newsletter for updates - there is a form to do this at the foot of this page. The final detailed and timed itinerary will be posted here at least four weeks prior to departure. If you would like to join us please send Siobhan an email or call on +44 (0) 7722 724 558 for details on how to secure a place. The deposit will be £180pp for this Tour. Should your plans change, we are happy to return your deposit to you in full provided the date of the return request is more than six weeks before the departure date of the Tour.

Oh Belgian beer cafes, why do you look so inviting!

Day 1 - Tuesday 24 December 2024

Very Early! Coach departs from Galloways coach depot at Denters Hill, Mendlesham, Suffolk, IP14 5RR.

06.00hr Coach pick up at The Woolpack, Mildmay Road, Chelmsford CM2 0DN.

06.45hr Coach pick up at Howdens, Unit 4, Moreton Industrial Estate, London Road, Swanley, Kent BR8 8DE.

07.30hr Coach pick up at the pull in outside Dobbies Garden Centre, Opp. Premier Inn Ashford Eureka Leisure Park, Rutherford Road, Ashford, Kent, TN25 4BN.

07.45hr Coach pick up at Shell Garage, Stop 24 Services, J11, M20, Kent, CT21 4BL.

08.15hr Arrive Dover ferry terminal.

10.05hr P&O Ferry Crossing from Calais.

12.55hr Arrive/Disembark Calais.

14.00hr Arrive at our first stop which Siobhan is currently arranging. This will be a meal and a first Belgian beer!

18.00hrish Arrive at our base for the next four nights, the Pentahotel in Leuven.

St Bernardus Abt Beer - A Black Beauty.

Day 2 - Wednesday 25 December 2024

11.00hr – late start. Following a buffet breakfast in our hotel* we leave our Hotel by coach for a leisurely day of exploring.

12.00hr Arrive at Grimbergen Abbey, in the village of Grimbergen, north of Brussels in Flemish Brabant. This is a large complex consisting of the Abbey church, now a Basilica, a new modern micro-brewery, a museum/visitor experience, the brewery tap and the Fenikshof Restaurant. We’ll visit them all* with a fully guided tour with two expert guides. Grimbergen Abbey was founded in 1128 when the Lords of Grimbergen asked Norbert van Xanten, founder of the Premonstratensian Order to build an abbey and he granted them their wish here. Shortly after, in the same year, the Fathers of Grimbergen Abbey began to brew beer. The Abbey has been burned to the ground three times was rebuilt bigger and better each time and the motto is ardet nec consumitur, latin for “burned but not destroyed”. Hence, the phoenix logo you’ll see everywhere. The church here has also been rebuilt several times since 1128 and the current construction dates from 1660 in the Baroque style. The complex also includes Volkssterrenwacht Mira, Belgium’s oldest astronomical public observatory and planetarium which you can see peeking out of the former abbey farm buildings in the car park.

Now for the beer! Grimbergen beer in recent years has been made by large conglomerates, but in 2021 they installed and opened a new micro-brewery to brew some special limited edition beers, separate from the commercial products widely available in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. They are still Erkend Belgisch Abdijbier – official certified Abbey beers. We’ll have a beer tasting* of some of their new beers including:

 Grimbergen Magnum Opus Brut Beer - 8.0%abv. This is a crisp, light ale made with golden malts and has delicate notes of pear, orange and vanilla. Named from the Latin, finest work, it is, apparently ‘reserved for distinguished guests’.

 Grimbergen Ignis Quadruple – a 10%abv malty, sweet beer made with beech-smoked malt. It has notes of raisin, plum, and fig.

 Grimbergen Astrum Pale Ale – is a lively, smooth, refreshing beer at 6%abv. It is called Astrum – star, is a reference to the famous observatory in the grounds. It is brewed with Galaxy hops from Tasmania and is fruity to complement the biscuity malts used in this brew.

14.00hr We make our way to Het Fenikshof restaurant, within the abbey buildings. This is an attractive eatery where we will have a meal and a sit down! One of the meal choices Siobhan has selected is Turkey-Schnitzel! They serve on draft the Grimbergen Microbrewery beers in three different sizes, and the other Grimbergen brews, made elsewhere.

16.00hr Leave Het Fenikshof at Grimbergen Abbey, Grimbergen.

16.30hr Arrive at an afternoon stop for a beer or two which Siobhan is currently arranging.

18.30hrish Arrive back in Leuven and drop near the Hotel.

A nice black beer - go on - it's Christmas!

Day 3 - Thursday 26 December 2024

10.00hr Following a buffet breakfast in our hotel* we leave for a day out!

Siobhan is arranging a morning visit for the group.

13.30hr Arrive at In de Molen, in Bierbeek. This is an attractive long fronted corner brick built café in the centre of the village. It has a nice traditional cosy wood interior, lovely old fancy tiled floor and a Buuzestove/Leuvense Stove, which may be stoked, given the season. They are well known in this part of the world for the choice and quality of their food and we’ll have a meal here. This is backed by a well thought out 100+/- strong beer menu, so we are sorted for the afternoon! They have a house beer brewed for them too, Bierbeek Tripel, an 8.1%abv beer, named after the village.

15.30hr Leave In de Molen in Bierbeek.

16.00hr Arrive at Brouwerij de Coureur microbrouwerij and taproom in Kessel-Lo. This is a small, modern brewery with a nice little tasting room, and some of the best series of fixtures and fittings made out of bicycle parts which I have seen – especially the faux taxidermy bike saddles, which nothing short of brilliant. Bikes and cycling are a big thing here. The name of the brewery too means “The Cyclist” in French and I’ve recently worked out that the line drawing graphic on the glass is a person riding a bike, from above. We’ll visit Bart & Ine here for a tasting* and little tour by Bart*. The brewery is hidden in a residential area of the pretty Kessel-Lo and the beers can only be drunk onsite as they do not bottle their beers at all and may can some. They started here in 2019. They have a series of regular beers and special editions, on tap, including:

Colleke – a creamy blonde beer at 4.5%abv

Souplesse – a dark blonde at 6.9%aabv

Kuitenbijter – (Calf-Biter) an American IPA at 6.3%abv

Klein Verzet – (Little Rebel) a low gravity amber beer at 3.4%abv

Voorjaarsklassieker (Spring Classic) – a Belgian strong golden ale at 7.3%abv

D’r op en D’r Over – a sour IPA at 5.3%abv Zwart Voor De Ogen – an imperial stout at 8%abv

18.00hr Leave Brouwerij de Coureur in Kessel-Lo.

18.30hr Arrive back in Leuven and drop near the Hotel.

Day 4 - Friday 27 December 2024

10.00hr Following a buffet breakfast in our hotel* we board the coach for a day out.

10.30hr Arrive at the beer warehouse Drinks VCB, still owned by the fourth generation Van Craenenbroeck family, situated to the north of the city of Leuven. This business has been going since 1892 and are proud to be Stella Artois’ oldest customer! We can stock up on beers to take home. For those who cannot bring back beers, if they are travelling by train, may be able to wait for us in the bar next door. The thing is, it’s a bar attached to a Climbing Experience. Only in Belgium, you get a climbing gym for young and old, with a giant green twisty beanstalk and a beer bar attached. It has a beautiful rooftop bar with a view over the Dyle waterway. Chimay Tripel on draft and 37 beers all told. Siobhan has contacted the owner, and they are open over Christmas, but say there will be a lot of children in and around the café, and we may not want to brave it! If I know Podge’s Belgian Beer Tour travellers, they are unlikely to be daunted!

Day 5 - Saturday 28 December 2024

Tour Price is £995 per person sharing a twin or double room

Single Supplement: £295

We regret that we need to charge a single supplement for travellers who would like their own hotel room. This is because increasingly hotel room prices are quoted with very little difference between single person or two person occupancy.

Deposit payable to secure a place on this Tour is £180 per person.

Send Siobhan an email to find out how to pay the deposit

Included in the cost of this Tour are:

Hotel accommodation and breakfasts;

Hotel city taxes;

Luxury coach travel on a 49 seater coach with toilet;

All brewery visits, tours and brewery beer tastings;

Entrance fees to attractions, museums and historical sites;

All items marked with an asterisk above and on the individual detailed tour itinerary when issued;

Copies of Podge’s City Bar Guides and Maps for the town where we stay or spend some time;

Still and sparkling water on the coach;

Pick up from one of our agreed joining points on the way to Folkestone or even on the other side of the channel.

Courier Services from Siobhan McGinn, your Tour Guide.

Travellers are responsible for the costs of all food and drink apart from items marked with an asterisk on the detailed itinerary plus all passport and insurance costs.

All itinerary times are local and approximate.

Personal insurance is not included in the Tour price but is required to be taken out by Travellers on Podge's Belgian Beer Tours, as is carrying the free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) which is the 2021 replacement for the old EHIC. You can still use your EHIC card so long as it is in date, then you need to apply for the GHIC replacement online.

All Tours are subject to our Terms and Conditions.

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