Mont des Cats

Mont des Cats is a small hill (alt. 164m) near the town of Godewaersvelde, France. Located in the Nord department, its Flemish name is Katsberg. The hill is seat of the Mont des Cats abbey,[1] famous for its cheese produced by monks since 1890.

Mont des Cats as viewed from the town of Steenvoorde.

Atop the hill rests an antenna that reaches a height of 364m and transmits both television and radio signals:

  • it emits FM radio signals at 500 W
  • and has 3 x UHF 80kW emitters for television broadcasting

The antenna provides radio and television for part of the Nord Pas de Calais digital television (DTT).

The traditional feast of Saint-Hubert is held atop this hill on the third Sunday in October.

Origin of the name

The name has nothing to do with cats, but is derived from the name of a Germanic tribe known as Chatti (French: Chattes; Dutch; Chatten), living in the area after the fall of the Roman Empire (5th century).[2]

Mont des Cats Abbey
The Mont des Cats abbey

A first community of the Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony was settled in 1650 and lasted until the French Revolution which closed the monastery in 1792. In 1826, a new community of Trappists (Reformed Cistercians) was funded, and this congregation has run the abbey ever since. A breakaway group of Trappist monks left Mont des Cats and settled in Westvleteren (Belgium).

Mont des Cats cheese

Mont des Cats cheese

Mont des Cats cheese has been produced by the monks since 1890 with the milk of local farms, in a small independent dairy. The production method are similar to those used for Port-salut. Affinage (maturing) takes a minimum of one month and during this period the cheese is washed in salted water and dyed with roucou, a reddish derivative from annatto seeds. The texture of the cheese is firm, uncooked, pressed and has small holes. The fat content is 50%. In Flanders it is sometimes eaten as a breakfast cheese with coffee.

Cycling
Mont des Cats
LocationNord-Pas-de-Calais, France
StartBoeschepe
Gain in altitude45 m (148 ft)
Length of climb500 m (1,600 ft)
Maximum elevation150 m (490 ft)
Average gradient9 %
Maximum gradient14 %

The Mont des Cats is regularly included in cycling races in spring, such as Gent–Wevelgem and the Four Days of Dunkirk. It featured once in the Tour de France.

See also

Mont des Cats has inspired the name of the software company Mondeca.

References
  1. Abbaye du Mont des Cats
  2. History of Mont des Cats Archived 2007-06-15 at the Wayback Machine on abbey website

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