Beselare: Witch Tradition and Landscape

Beselare combines a strong witch tradition with memorial sites, regional products and a mountain biking route. The witch theme appears as a biennial folk festival, a bronze sculpture and the story of a custom. Meanwhile, Sint-Martinus Church and the Heksentafel offer different points of interest, while Heksenbier and Heksentaart add a culinary touch. This gives you a choice of focus when planning your trip: will you remember Beselare primarily for its culture and history, its regional products or a tour through the landscape?

Witch tradition: festival, figure and custom

The first Heksenstoet was created in 1959, drawing on Beselare’s rich storytelling tradition; the folk festival takes place every two years. In the market square stands the bronze Heksenmonument, depicting a witch stirring a magical cauldron. The Heksenwaag in Beselare is based on a Dutch custom used to determine whether someone was a witch. Here, the witch theme takes three different forms: a recurring festival, a sculptural scene and the history of a custom. If you want to plan your trip around the Heksenstoet, check the date before making your plans; its biennial schedule is important to bear in mind.

Memorial sites and a little green corner

Inside Sint-Martinus Church is the tombstone of the knight Adriaan Van der Woestine, dating from 1527. To the right of the church, a memorial stone in the village square commemorates military casualties. The two memorials mark different historical points of interest: the tombstone identifies a single knight and a precise year, while the memorial stone commemorates military casualties. Behind the church is the Heksentafel, a little green corner with herbs, plants and unusual symbols. Alongside the memorials, it adds a smaller touch focused on plants and symbols.

Heksenbier and Heksentaart

Beselare’s witch theme also lives on in its food and drink. Beselaars Heksenbier is amber in colour, has an alcohol content of 6.5 percent and is brewed according to an old recipe. The Heksentaart from Brood en Banket Wouter offers something different: its crisp pastry base is filled with vanilla custard, whipped cream and pieces of raspberry. A distinctive beer and a sweet speciality with a precisely described filling sit side by side.

Landscape and finding a holiday rental

The Gustave Bourgois mountain biking route starts at the sports hall in Beselare and aims to showcase the varied landscape in all its facets. This adds an active perspective to the witch tradition and memorial sites. When looking for a holiday rental in Beselare, it helps to decide in advance what you want to focus on during your stay: are you most drawn to the cultural attractions, or would you rather shape your travel plans around the mountain biking route and its landscape?

Discover more destinations: Geluveld.

Go to the main travel overview: Zonnebeke.