In 1862, farmer Henri De Backer established a jenever distillery on his square farm in Balegem (Oosterzele). Through the marriage of De Backer's daughter, the distillery passed to the Van Damme family in 1885, with whom Balegem jenever would be associated from then on. In 1898, the old distillery was replaced by a brand-new steam distillery. The steam engine was built by the Ghent-based company Le Phoenix, while the steam boiler was manufactured by Chaudronnerie Louis Fassin, also from Ghent. The plant, with the exception of a few pieces of equipment, is still in use.

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DirkWi

September 6, 2023

Hiking

Balegem jenever has been distilled here since 1865 (according to the label on the bottles even 1862). It is the last distillery farm in the Benelux that grows the grain for its gin itself.
Today the distillery has a gin café, a gin shop and a community room.
The square farm also houses a guest house with 6 rooms.

Source: information boards on site

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Stephanie

November 18, 2025

Mountain biking

This is the last agricultural distillery in the Benelux region and has been a family business for seven generations. The Vierakantshoeve houses a jenever distillery, a shop, a coffee house, a B&B, and 250 cattle. It's definitely worth a visit and enjoying a coffee and cake or pancakes. You can also enjoy jenever with it, of course. stokerijvandamme.be/about

Closed Thursdays and Fridays

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Best Hikes to Stokerij Van Damme Distillery

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1. Stokerij Van Damme Distillery – Path through Ettingebos loop from Balegem

8.14km

02:06

40m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

4.5

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2. Stokerij Van Damme Distillery – Guillotinmolen Windmill loop from Oosterzele

12.3km

03:10

60m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

4.2

(13)

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3. Path through Ettingebos – Windeke Mill loop from Balegem

5.32km

01:22

20m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

Details

Informations

Elevation 40 m

Weather

Tuesday 27 January

7°C

2°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 7.0 km/h

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Location: Oosterzele, Gent, East Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

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Stokerij Van Damme Distillery

1. Stokerij Van Damme Distillery – Path through Ettingebos loop from Balegem

2. Stokerij Van Damme Distillery – Guillotinmolen Windmill loop from Oosterzele

3. Path through Ettingebos – Windeke Mill loop from Balegem

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