Scourmont Abbey, Forges (Chimay), Belgium

As far as European monasteries go, Scourmont is not old (it was only established in the early nineteenth century). It is an important place for beer enthusiasts, however, as it is the place where Chimay ale is made by the Trappist monks. (The Trappists are a branch of Cistercians who follow the rule of St. Benedict). After eating in Chimay yesterday, we drove south toward the French border to visit the monastery.


The front door. The simple, solid abbey is built of gray stone.


Inside the courtyard. We only saw five people the whole time we were there. It was very quiet, even outside.


The inside of the abbey church is pure white and unadorned. It was only after I took this picture that I noticed the monk sitting in quiet contemplation near the front of the nave on the left (click on the picture for a better view).

We walked through the graveyard, where we saw the graves of local monks...

... and nuns!

Overall, this was a very peaceful place. After 45 minutes of strolling the grounds, we drove back to Sittard through Charleroi, Namur, and Liege.