De Halve Maan Close Up

Bruges has two incredibly important arterial routes running through it. Bisecting the city from the North is ‘the Golden Inlet’, a channel that runs all the way out to the North Sea. This waterway was essential in developing Bruges as the epicenter of early European mercantilism, eventually developing the Bourse in 1309 as the world’s first stock exchange. The other, a subterranean pipeline running 3.2km out to the North East. This too, is a golden inlet, insofar as it carries beer. The beating heart at the middle of it all, is the De Halve Maan brewery. We spoke with owner Xavier Vanneste for the full story.