Have two days? Feel like a vacation? Hop on your bike or catch a train and go exploring.
The Netherlands is the perfect size for mini adventures. We often take off by bike and train for the weekend to discover places unknown. Last summer one of our favourite trips was to Brouwerij Maallust (Maallust Brewery).
The Maallust Brewery. Photo by Henk-Jan van der Klis / Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND).
Many things make Maallust Brewery a special place, not least of all its location. You’ll find it in the town of Veenhuizen, in buildings that once belonged to one of the most famous prisons in the Netherlands. Even Dutch celebrities have spent time in Veenhuizen for charges such as drunk driving.
Today the historic complex has been turned into the Nationaal Gevangenismuseum (National Prison Museum). We didn’t have time to visit the museum but we did take a few moments to sample the delights of the brewery.
We also took some time to admire the huge copper kettles.
The copper kettles at Maallust Brewery. Photo by Passetti/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND).
And of course we snapped the mandatory tourist photo: “Caught in Veenhuizen!!”.
If you’d also like to visit the Maallust Brewery, the opening hours are: April to September, Tuesday to Sunday (11am-6pm) and October to March, Friday to Sunday (11am-6pm). Going by bike (or by car) is ideal. Veenhuizen isn’t very conveniently located for access by train, and the pretty countryside is well worth seeing from the seat of a bicycle.
Where to find it: Bierbrouwerij Maallust, Hoofdweg 140, 9341 BL Veenhuizen.