Abbaye de Leffe was founded in 1152 on the Meuse River in Namur, Belgium. As in many monasteries across Europe, ales were brewed there for many centuries as part of the abbey's hospitality.
The abbey was abandoned and the brewery destroyed during the French Revolution. Religious life returned to the abbey in the 20th century, and in 1952 the monks partnered with a commercial brewer to produce Leffe beers according to their ancient recipes and traditions; today, royalties continue to benefit the abbey.