Candy store "De Soete Paepe" - Lissewege

Housed in a picturesque, abandoned building, this is a reconstruction of a 1920s shop , established by the Lissewege Tourist Office as a tourist attraction. A wooden counter, glass candy bottles , old-fashioned scales, retro wallpaper, and nostalgic music make it a small museum in itself.

"Paepe" means "pastor" in West Flemish. It refers to a pastor named Meerseman from 1882, who was known for making bacon and jam : his portrait hangs prominently in the shop and serves as the logo for "De Soete Paepe."

The shop offers over 60 nostalgic sweets from the old days: think magic balls, face-twirlers, Ghent noses, wippers, snowballs, and Belgian licorice. They also serve freshly baked treats like apple turnovers, Berlin balls, and jam tart , prepared traditionally with quality ingredients. Some treats are still made according to old recipes collected or even redeveloped by volunteers, such as homemade apple turnovers and "pastoorsspeken" (pastor's bacon).

willem vandenameele