Frommer's Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg (Frommer's Complete Guides)

Food and Beverage Highlight: Brewing and Abbaye de Notre Dame
Photo by Bieres de Chimay
Belgium has raised the craft of brewing to a high art; its outsized reputation in the world of beer is completely disproportionate to its size, and owes almost everything to religious orders. Brewing operations are a major source of income, helping the monasteries fund their charitable activities. Because they're such strict religious communities, the breweries themselves aren't open to the public -- but with a little ingenuity, you can get close to the source.