Hidden down an alley in Mechelen’s Begijnhof, Het Anker has been brewing beer since the 15th century. Its strong, dark Gouden Carolus ale has been made in this spot since the days of Emperor Charles V. Named after the golden coins minted by the Emperor, the beer was voted ‘world’s best dark beer’ in 2012.
The owners of Het Anker recently opened the country’s first brewery hotel in a building that looks out on the courtyard where beer trucks pull up. Hotel guests can watch the brewing process from the breakfast room and drink a beer in the brewery’s nostalgic tavern.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
