The beginning - like Chimay and Orval, fellow Trappists from the Ardennes, Rochefort owes much of its mystique to its setting. The Abbey of Our Lady of Saint-Remy is an oasis of peace on the fringes of the modern world.

There is little here to distract you from a rhythm of life that consists of manual labor, prayer, and sleep—exactly as preached by Saint Benedict.

The library, the refectory, the reading room, the cloisters, and even the brewery... everything here exudes simplicity and serenity. And nothing suggests the abbey's tempestuous past.

It all began peacefully in 1230 with the creation of Le Secours Notre-Dame. The Count of Rochefort, Gilles de Walcourt, and his wife founded this convent a kilometer and a half from the city of Rochefort.

It wasn't until 1464 that Rochefort saw the arrival of the Cistercian monks, as part of a religious "exchange" order. They gave up the abbey, Félipré, near Givet, to the nuns and made Rochefort Abbey their home. Then came the assault. The abbey was first destroyed by Protestant armies in 1568. Then it was the turn of the troops of... ( The Abbey of Rochefort)
Lorraine, which it had sacked in 1650. The abbey was soon rebuilt, only for the church and abbey buildings to be demolished again during the French Revolution.

In 1797, the remaining properties of the abbey were confiscated. It wasn't until 1887 that the monks once again rebuilt their religious buildings.

But the new Trappist complex only officially recovered as an abbey in 1912. However, despite everything, the monks did their best to keep the beer flowing. Records indicate that brewing activity has been taking place here since 1595. This brewing tradition, although only for the consumption of the monks, came to an abrupt end during the French Revolution. The French army occupied the region and the abbey was sacked by the inhabitants of the area.

The rebuilt refectory was reused in 1899. Brother Zozime, from Dongen (in the Netherlands), was the first of the new line of master brewers. In his later years, Father Dominique was supposed to take brewing classes at the University of Leuven so that the notoriously volatile quality of the brewing could be controlled.

Then war was called again - the First World War reached the abbey in 1918. The German occupiers removed the copper fittings from the brewery and production was once again interrupted for a time.

When, after the Second World War, Rochefort beers declined in popularity compared to the better-known (and more consistent) Chimay beers, a bit of brotherly kindness was shown. The Trappists of the Chimay Abbey decided to help their fellow monks improve the quality of their beer.
Declerck of Leuven, who laid the foundations for modern Chimay beers, along with his brother Théodore, advised the monks to change their production methods, impose microbiological controls, and pay more attention to hygiene.

Thus, it was with Chimay's assistance that the monks of Rochefort developed the current package of beer recipes. Brother Théodore de Chimay was responsible for selecting and isolating the initial yeast strains. However, this yeast was found not to be "very good" in Rochefort and was therefore replaced by a variety originating from the Palm brewery. In the 1950s, the initial light 'refectory' beer was joined by the stronger Rochefort 8 and 10.

Success soon followed, and since then, Rochefort has carved out a strong niche in the Trappist market. But despite all the recent success and accolades, Rochefort's story continues to turn and turn.

The abbey made headlines recently for all the wrong reasons – a fire broke out in 2010, which thankfully was quickly extinguished. But now the abbey is having to campaign for the preservation of the Tridaine spring – a water source integral to the abbey's famous drink.

It is threatened by excavations carried out by the owner of a nearby quarry. There are fears that these works could affect the course of the stream. The monks are concerned that this will have negative consequences on the quality of the water used in the production of their highly praised beers.

The abbey made headlines recently for all the wrong reasons – a fire broke out in 2010, which thankfully was quickly extinguished. But now the abbey is having to campaign for the preservation of the Tridaine spring – a water source integral to the abbey's famous drink.

It is threatened by excavations carried out by the owner of a nearby quarry. There are fears that these works could affect the course of the stream. The monks are concerned that this will have negative consequences on the quality of the water used in the production of their highly praised beers.