Saint-Sixtus Abbey

Saint-Sixtus Abbey is a Trappist monastery in Vleteren, West Flanders, Belgium, founded in 1831 by monks following the strict Benedictine Rule of silence and contemplation. The abbey operates one of the world's most sought-after monastery breweries: Westvleteren beer — especially the Westvleteren 12 — is consistently ranked among the finest beers on the planet, yet is sold only at the abbey gate through a telephone or online reservation system, strictly limiting supply. Visitors may access the abbey shop and the In-Bier-Veritas café just outside the gate, while the cloister itself remains closed to the public. The surrounding garden and spare brick buildings offer a rare, unhurried encounter with a genuinely functioning contemplative community.