Hellekapelle

One of the things we like to do (well, Rick mostly) when we have a free weekend is to visit different specialty beer bars and/or breweries throughout Belgium. We normally use the beer guide book that I wrote about awhile ago to make our selections. Many of the places we visit are in small towns in the middle of nowhere. We have found, however, that some of the most uninteresting places can have really interesting beer bars. Some of the bars are quirky, some are located in beautiful, old buildings, and some just have great beer lists.

I would put Hellekapelle in the "quirky" if not "bizarre" category. The name means "Chapel of Hell" and it refers to a time when the church saw cafes as covens of debauchery and drunkeness. We took our friends Clive and Maria along with us. They've accompanied us on a few beer bar excursions in the past and they keep coming back for more! Unfortunately, this one was closed when we got there. It was difficult to tell whether it was closed for good, for the summer, or just for the day. Our curiosity was piqued and we drove a long way so we decided to trespass. The bar was located in an old chapel that was next to what looked like a farmhouse. We opened the gate and walked around the property until we saw the entrance. All we had to do was push open the door and we were in! The property didn't look abandoned, but we didn't see anybody there. The decor in this place alone was worth the drive. Although, I think all of us agreed that it was a shame that we couldn't stay for a beer.