Namur Visit

I had never been to Namur before, indeed, I have visited Brussels many many times, and have visited Flemish towns/cities, such as Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp and Leuven before too. So my brother Dan recommended we visit Namur for the day from Brussels (more of in another blog to be written very soon), Namur, the capital of Wallonia (Visit Wallonia) is a short train journey from Brussels. Our first stop was the tourist office (website), as I always like to get myself a wee map of places I visit so I can work out where I'm going. The tourist office is very close to the Sambre, which is a tributary of the Meuse, and conjoins just a few hundred metres further away.

We decided to find somewhere to look at the map and drink a coffee near the tourist office, and we found the Taverne Le Prince Baudouin, Rue de Marchovelette 15 (facebook), opposite La Bourse. A right friendly locals bar, neat and tidy, and the most choice for what to add to a coffee I've ever had, served up with the black coffee were milk, cream, whipped cream and a wee biscuit, which, as Dan doesn't like them particularly, I consequently had 2 biscuits. 😁

After some sight-seeing and touring the area (Namur's not so big), and working out where we would be drinking later, we settled on eating at La Taverne Alsacienne, Place Marche aux Legumes 11, 5000 Namur, (facebook)  in the first photograph above, which specialises in cuisine from the Alsace region of France. We had 2 different versions of their speciality Flammekueche, a bit like thin crusted pizzas made with flat bread, with a very decent salad, and delicious! 😋

As you can see above, we both drank the 8.4% Karmeliet Tripel (website), brewed with Styrian Golding hops (hopslist), at the Brouwerij Bosteels in the village of Buggenhout in East Flanders; the brewery was founded in 1791 (website). A golden ale, a wee bit sweeter than Westmalle (more soon), plenty of fruit and body, hints of vanilla and citrus, pretty good! 👍

I was pretty disappointed by two of the bars I was intending to visit, earlier we had tried La Cuve a Biere (facebook), but even though it was a Friday, it wasn't opening until late afternoon, and La Chapitre (above - facebook) was meant to be open by 14.00, but it still wasn't open at 15.00! If I return it will have to be at a weekend, or stay there overnight. 😞

So, a wee bit frustrated, we ended up in Barnabeer, Rue de Bruxelles 39, 5000 Namur (website), which we knew was open at 14.00 because we had passed by earlier, I told you Namur isn't a huge place. 😉 Indeed, Barnabeer is open from 14.00 every day of the week (open until 01.00 Monday to Thursday and until 02.00 on Fridays and Saturdays); it remains closed all day on Sundays. Who knows what the craic is Sundays in Namur, I'll not be finding out methinks. 😒

Barnabeer is quite roomy inside, with a large outside area too, indeed, when we were there all the action appeared to be outside, mostly younger folk going out there, but some older folk too. It had the feeling of an old bank to me, but I cannot discover the original purpose of the building, it is certainly impressive. They have an impressive beer list too, with over 300 different beers available, as you can gather from the image including the bar above, about 45 beer fonts!

The staff are very friendly and informative, and we decided to have bottled beers from 2 local-ish breweries, interestingly, rather than having glasses for each different beer, as is usual in Belgian bars, they serve all beers up in their own glasses, as you can see from this image. Floreffe Tripel (8.0%), an Abbey Style blonde beer has been brewed by Lefebvre in Quenast since 1983 (website). Specific hops used are kept secret, but include a combination of European and English hops, certainly producing an easy drinking beer, with a slightly spicy finish, nice one. 

Floreffe Abbey was originally founded in 1121, with a brewery set up in the abbey during the 13th century, the abbey was abandoned by the monks at the end of the 18th century following the French Revolution. Their brewery was restored in 1960 and brewing was run there by Het Anker (website) until 1983. Maredsous Abbey is a much newer abbey founded by Benedictine monks in 1872, with brewing not starting until 1947; since 1963 Duvel Moortgat (website) began brewing their beers under licence until 2023, when the Maredsous Microbrewery was created in collaboration with Duvel Moortgat (website).

So, to my favourite beverage of the trip, Maredsous Tripel (10.0%), brewed using Styrian Golding (hopslist) and Saaz (hopslist) hops. Maredsous Tripel is a golden-orange-amber colour with a gentle malty aroma and flavour with hints of banana, orange and apple, and spicy cloves and coriander to finish. Sweet at first, but with a bitterness coming through very soon to balance the overall taste, quite rich, and very good indeed! 👍

This photograph was taken on the train on the way to Namur, looks as though it could be in English, but is in French, as this was the train destined for Luxembourg from Brussels. On reaching Namur, the city centre is just 10-15 minutes walk due south from Namur railway station.

So, my next blog should be about Brussels, cheers for now folks! 😁
 

Another Brussels Visit, September 2025.

Well, for my birthday visit to Belgium, the international part of the trip kicked off at St Pancras International (website), pictured is the St Pancras London Hotel, which used to be called the Midland Grand Hotel (website). As I had some time to spare, I had a pint of Estrella 0 0 at the Betjeman Arms (website), I kid you not, it was actually very tasty and refreshing!

Anyway, on my way by Eurostar (website), sadly, no longer bottles of Duvel for sale in the buffet, but Leffe Blonde in tins (website), plus a red wine for me, and a sarnie, etc...

I stayed in Brussels with my sister-in-law and brother, and on the other side of the Parc du Cinquantenaire (above visitbrussels) from the apartment was my first bar this visit, for food as well as drink. Indeed, this was the first bar I ever drank in on my first visit to Belgium many years ago, that is the 120 years old La Terrasse, Avenue des Celtes 1, Etterbeek, 1040 Brussels (website). Excellent food, and the wonderful Westmalle Tripel (9.5%) pictured below, my favourite Belgian beer. Brewed with Tettnanger (hopslist), Saaz (hopslist) and Styrian Golding (hopslist) hops, producing a golden ale, subtly fruity, and a dry bitter refreshing finish, quality!  

Westmalle Tripel is a 'trappist' ale, the brewery established at the trappist Westmalle Abbey since 1836 (website), gradually updated over the years, in 1968 their own water purification plant was set up, their bottling plant was modernised in 1956 and again in 2000, and a few years ago a new brew hall was installed. Although the monks no longer brew the beers themselves, they remain in overall charge of the brewery, ensuring tradition is upkept, and pure ingredients used, their own water, 100% barley malt, hops, and yeast from their own culture.  

The second bar visited this time was the great Le Cirio, Beursstraat 18, 1000 Brussels (website), next to the old Belgian Stock Exhange, La Bourse (Brussels), a favourite for Dan and me. Here I drank the 8.4% Karmeliet Tripel (website), also brewed with Styrian Golding hops (hopslist), at the Brouwerij Bosteels (website), founded in 1791. Another golden ale, a wee bit sweeter than the Westmalle, plenty of fruit and body, hints of vanilla and citrus, pretty good!

Le Cirio was originally an Italian Delicatessen founded by Francesco Cirio in 1886, and the present interior was redesigned by Henri Coosemans in 1909 in the style of an Arts Nouveau Italian cafe. The narrow doors to the toilets pictured above hint at small rooms, but it is like the 'Tardis' when you enter, so presumably the same in the women's toilet too! 😁 Anyway, the photograph framed above the mirror to the left of the doors includes the famous Jacques Brel sitting in Le Cirio, the Belgian songwriter and singer, whose works include Ne Me Quitte Pas (Don't Leave Me), Le Moribond (adapted for Seasons in the Sun), and Amsterdam.

The third bar was one of the most interesting bars you may ever enter, La Fleur en Papier Dore, Rue des Alexiens 55, 1000 Brussels (website), 'the flower made from gold foil' and still with very friendly bar staff! This really is an 'arts' bar, created by the poet and gallery owner Gerard van Bruaene, and filled by artists and musicians, such as the Surrealists like Rene Magritte, and Jacques Brel again, he did like his bars! Bits and pieces here and there, much unmatched furniture, and pictures and all sorts adorning the walls, and pleasantly laid back. 😎

Here I drank a beer from the Brussels brewery Brasserie de la Senne (website), their 8.0% Tripel Verschueren (Tripel Verschu). As you can see from the photograph, the beer is pretty natural, very suitable for vegans, golden, slightly citrussy and fruity, with a dry bitter finish. Sorry, but the hops used are pretty difficult to find out, but I'd be surprised if the blend used doesn't include Styrian Golding and Saaz hops, if you know, please leave a comment, cheers! 👍

As we walked back to the apartment, Dan pointed out the medieval city walls that remain here and there, so I took the photograph above to share, but if you want to know more about the fortifications built to defend the city in the 13th and 14th centuries, go to My City Hunt. 

That's it for now folks, Ghent next, cheers! 🍻