Brouwerij De Halve Maan

Brouwerij De Halve Maan, at Walplein 26 in Brugge, Belgium, is the last working brewery inside the historic city centre and has been run by the Maes family since 1856, though brewing on the site goes back to 1564. It is best known for Brugse Zot, a blond ale, and Straffe Hendrik, a strong tripel and quadrupel brewed in several versions. Guided tours in several languages, including English on the hour in season, take about an hour and lead through the old brew hall, the malting floor, the copper kettles and the fermentation rooms, with a climb up to the rooftop for a view over the old town's towers and roofs. A glass of beer in the brewery's courtyard bar or on the terrace is included in the ticket of about EUR 18-20, and a child ticket without beer is available. A famous feature is the underground pipeline, nearly 3 kilometres long, which pumps beer from the brewery in the historic centre to the bottling plant outside the city walls, replacing hundreds of lorry trips through the narrow streets. Visitors can see where the pipeline begins during the tour. Tours run daily from about 11:00 to 16:00, with some winter closures, and book out in high season, so booking online for the 11:00 or 12:00 tour is wise. The rooftop requires climbing steep, narrow stairs. The brewery restaurant and bar also serve beer-based dishes, and a shop sells bottles and glassware. The brewery is a ten-minute walk from the Markt via Katelijnestraat, and Walplein is a pleasant square with a Heilig Hartkerk behind it. Crowds are heaviest in the afternoon and at weekends, while the first tour of the day is calmer. Visitors must be of legal drinking age to receive the beer, and the stairs may be hard for anyone with mobility difficulties.