# Brouwerij De Halve Maan Activity company en Bruges Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/companies/brouwerij-de-halve-maan A family brewery in the centre of Bruges, home of the Brugse Zot and Straffe Hendrik, with guided tours, a brasserie and a shop. De Halve Maan is a family brewery in the centre of Bruges that makes the Brugse Zot, the Sportzot, the Straffe Hendrik and the Blanche de Bruges. It is on the Walplein, five minutes from the beguinage. ## Six generations on the Walplein Beer has been made on the Walplein site for more than five centuries, according to the house itself. The family's story begins in 1856, when Leon Maes, the first of a long series of Henris, took over the brewery. In 1981 Véronique Maes, of the fifth generation and one of the first women brewers in the country, launched with her father the Straffe Hendrik, "strong Henry", in honour of all the Henris of the family. In 2005 her son Xavier Vanneste, the sixth generation, relaunched the brewery with the Brugse Zot. In 2010 it opened a bottling plant at Waggelwater, on the outskirts, and in 2016 it linked it to the brewery in the centre with a 3.3 km underground pipe beneath Bruges, to avoid filling the historic centre with lorries. All the beer is still brewed in Bruges. In 2018 it launched the alcohol-free Sportzot. Today it also makes the Brugse Zot Dubbel and Bok, several Straffe Hendriks, the Blanche and the Rosé de Bruges. ## The tours Guided tours of about 45 minutes with a beer, in Dutch, French or English, renewed in 2024 with audiovisual rooms and a virtual experience about its underground beer pipeline. At weekends there is an XL tour, an hour and a half with three beers, for €26. Children aged 6 to 15 pay €8.50 with a soft drink and under-6s do not pay. There are private tours and group tours on request, and only on those can you ask for a German-speaking guide. The route has 220 steps and, as it is an old building, cannot be adapted: it is not accessible to wheelchairs or pushchairs. At street level are the terrace and the shop, and a lift goes up to the restaurant. Dogs may not join the tour, but they are allowed in the brasserie. ## Booking and cancellation You book online, in the shop or by phone. Up to 48 hours beforehand you can change the date free or cancel with a €10 charge; with less than 48 hours there are no changes or refunds. The shop is open every day from 11:00 to 17:00 and also sells online. ## What you need to know It has no parking of its own: the nearest is Oud Sint-Jan, about 200 metres away, and about ten minutes' walk away are Katelijne and the station. The house brasserie serves lunch every day and also in the evening from Thursday to Saturday. The website is in Dutch, French and English. ## What they run - [De Halve Maan brewery tour, with Brugse Zot](https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/bruges/things-to-do/de-halve-maan-brewery), in Bruges. Classic guided brewery tour with a beer. Desde 16 € per person. 45 min. In Dutch, French or English · up to 25 people · free up to age 6 and €8.50 for ages 7 to 15. XL tour of an hour and a half with three beers in the cellars. Desde 26 € per person. 1 h 30. Weekends. In Dutch or English Independent companies: you book with them, on their terms. Prices are as they publish them and may change. ## Practical details - Address: Walplein 26, 8000 Brujas - Phone: +32 50 44 42 22 - Languages: Dutch, French, English - Details checked on 12 November 2026. ## Contact - Web: https://www.halvemaan.be/en - Coordenadas: 51.2032, 3.2243 ## Preguntas frecuentes ### Where is De Halve Maan? At 26 Walplein, in the centre of Bruges, about fifteen minutes' walk from the station. ### Do you have to book the tour? You book online on its website; it is the safest option at weekends. ### Can children go? Yes. Ages 6 to 15 pay €8.50 with a soft drink; under-6s, nothing. There are 220 steps.