In Stenay, brewing history, medieval urban layout and riverside scenery sit side by side. The Musée de la Bière is dedicated to the art of brewing; various routes lead through lanes, along surviving traces of fortifications or into the landscape shaped by the Meuse. This allows you to explore culture and take walks according to your interests.
Beer History at the Musée de la Bière
The Musée de la Bière presents the history of brewing and brewing traditions across 2,500 m², from their origins 12,000 years ago to the present day. The tour is divided into six sections. They cover the history of the building, the raw materials needed to make beer, and the development of brewing techniques, transport and tavern culture. The story thus extends from the place where beer is made to the routes along which it was distributed and served.
The museum visit ends in a tavern with tastings and regional products for sale. There, 70 craft-brewed and industrially brewed beers are available to take away or enjoy on site. The number and selection may change, so check what is on offer before your visit.
Lanes and Heritage in Stenay
The street layout also tells the story of the town’s older structure. The narrow streets along the fortifications still clearly reveal the medieval layout and provide a route through Stenay. Walking along the lanes lets you appreciate the town’s shape and its relationship to the fortifications, rather than visiting only individual buildings.
The Church of Saint-Grégoire was rebuilt in 1833. It houses significant movable heritage classified as Monuments Historiques. This offers a distinct perspective on the history of the place: alongside the visible medieval street layout, the church’s movable heritage takes centre stage here.
Routes Between Gardens, the Meuse and Fortifications
The Jardins et voies d'eau walking route passes through Stenay’s streets, footbridges and lanes. It goes by gardens and stone walls and runs through a riverside landscape shaped by the Meuse, the canal and small streams. On this route, town paths, walls and waterways are all connected; its focus is on the transition between the lanes and the surrounding waterscape.
Rives et collines de Meuse starts at Stenay marina and runs through the Meuse valley and along an old Roman road. Along the way, there are views of the Meuse and the forests of the Meuse and Ardennes. The easy circular route is 13 kilometres long and can be used for hiking or mountain biking. It therefore offers a different perspective from routes that mainly follow lanes and historic traces of the town.
Les anciens remparts starts at the harbour and goes around Stenay, following surviving traces of the town walls and passing through the former military citadel, which houses the Musée de la Bière. The route then passes a mill with a waterwheel and descends towards the Meuse. The three routes each have a different focus: Jardins et voies d'eau runs through lanes and gardens in the waterscape, Les anciens remparts incorporates the town walls and citadel into its route, and Rives et collines de Meuse combines the Meuse valley, the Roman road and views of the forest and river. Your choice therefore depends on whether you mainly want to explore the town’s layout or the landscape around the Meuse.
Discover more destinations: Sampigny, Verdun-Sur-Meuse, Juvigny-Sur-Loison, Écouviez, Nettancourt, Futeau, Naix-aux-Forges, Le Neufour
For the main travel overview: Meuse.
