Hotels near De Halve Maan Brewery

De Halve Maan (The Half Moon) is the last working brewery in central Bruges - run by the Maes family since 1856 and known for the Brugse Zot (Bruges Fool) and Straffe Hendrik beers. In 2016 the brewery built a 3.2 km underground beer pipeline beneath the city to send wort from the medieval brewhouse to a modern bottling plant on the outskirts - the only urban beer pipeline in the world.

The 45-minute brewery tour (EUR 18) climbs to the brewhouse roof for a panoramic view of the city, then descends through the cellars and the bottling line. The price includes one Brugse Zot Blond at the end. The taproom and beer garden serve all six house beers plus moules-frites at lunch.

Pro Tip: Book the brewery tour 1-2 days ahead in summer - same-day slots sell out by 11am. Skip the tour and just go to the taproom for a flight tasting (EUR 14, four 15cl glasses) if you have a flexible schedule.