Folk games in Poperinge pubs

A first visit to Poperinge beer festival in October 2025, gave an opportunity to also visit several ' Folk sports cafes ' with a variety of Flemish 'folk games' as part of a city walk .

'Shot at Dawn' memorial by Anno Dijkstra with a hollow base.

Tim's walk started in Burggraaf Frimoutpark named after Dirk Frimout , the first Belgian astronaut. The park features a raised wooden walkway, paths, trees and statues. 

Town Hall  -  Master Ghybe  -  War Memorial

After a circuit of the park, Tim crossed the Grote Markt with the Town Hall on one corner across from St Bertinus church. Near the church there is a war memorial and the Master Ghybe statue where the folklore figure sits backwards on a donkey holding a boulder which relates to longstanding rivalry between Poperinge and Ypres. The boulder is the symbol of the people of Poperinge who are also called "keikop" (stone head).

The next stage of the route was to walk the length of Quintens Wandeling from its starting point between 45 and 47 Professor Dewulfstraat. This follows the route of the former Poperinge - Hazebrouck railway line, closed to passengers since 1954 with the track removed in 1972. 

Het Mysterie

Volksspelencafe Het Mysterie, Abeelseweg 29, lies just south of the town's ring road (Westlaan).

There's a bar for drinkers on the left and a larger room on the right of the central entrance. I sat in the front corner of the larger room and ordered St Bernardus Pater 6 brewed locally at Watou.

There's a selection of available bottles on display on five shelves at the inside end of this room. 

One shelf has 'witch / spooky themed' beers including Quintine Blonde, four from De Bie Brouwerij and three from Brouwerij De Moare. There's a bottle of Picon on the top shelf. 

I was well looked after here with a complimentary cheese dish. I ordered soup with bread for lunch and would later be treated to more cheese that was left over from the lunch for a large group who had left.

WORK IN PROGRESS - WATCH THIS SPACE !!!