Cantillon Brewery and Brussels Gueuze Museum

Cantillon is a family brewery founded in 1900 by Paul Cantillon and his wife Marie Troch, and it is one of the last places where lambic is still brewed in Brussels in the traditional way. The working brewery doubles as the Brussels Gueuze Museum, and a visit here is the best way to understand the beers that make the city's drinking culture so distinctive. The business has stayed in the family, with the Van Roy family continuing the tradition.

Lambic is spontaneously fermented: after brewing, the wort is left in open-topped vessels called coolships in the attic, where wild yeasts from the air begin fermentation. A visit introduces the brewery and its history and the way these unusual beers are made. Gueuze, a blend of lambics of different ages, makes up half of production, and the brewery also produces kriek, made with cherries, and Rosé de Gambrinus, made with raspberries.

The visit suits beer enthusiasts, anyone curious about traditional food and drink, and travellers who want to see a real working business rather than a showpiece. As it is a historic working building, visitors with limited mobility should contact the brewery in advance, and dogs are not allowed. Younger children may find the visit less engaging than adults do.

According to the official website, the brewery is open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00, with the shop open until 17:00, and closed on Wednesdays, Sundays and public holidays. It also has an annual summer closure and special hours around Christmas and New Year. Public brewing days are held during the brewing season, such as one on Saturday 14 November 2026, and are a chance to see lambic being made. Contact the brewery's visits address for groups.

Cantillon is on the Rue Gheude in Anderlecht, a short walk from Brussels-Midi station. Allow time afterwards to browse the shop, where bottles can be bought to take home, and combine the visit with the Marolles and the Jeu de Balle flea market nearby.

Lambic and gueuze can taste surprisingly sour and dry to those used to other beers, so approach them with an open mind; many people find that the flavours grow on them, and the fruit beers are a gentler introduction.