Six-metre lookout tower opens among Poperinge’s hop fields

A six-metre metal lookout tower has opened among the hop fields of Poperinge, giving visitors a view that until now was largely reserved for hop growers.

The tower, named Belhophemel, rises above the plants so visitors can see the hop cones at their tops. “Visitors can now see the hop cones at the top of the plants,” hop grower Bart Boeraeve said.

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Visitors can now see the hop cones at the top of the plants.

Boeraeve said growers could previously look across the network of wires from inside the hop structure, while visitors to the farm and passers-by could not. The tower’s view changes with the seasons. In spring, when the hop vines have only grown halfway, visitors can stop halfway up and see the tops of the plants. By early July, when the vines reach the top, they can climb the full tower.

The tower also offers a view in winter, when the fields are empty. Boeraeve said he was proud to open it and that the idea had been in his mind for years. Subsidies and the help of a neighbour who builds metal structures made the project possible.

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We are extremely proud that we can open Belhophemel.

Frida, from Damme, was among the first visitors to climb the tower. “The view is fantastic,” she said, calling it a valuable addition to the region. She added that the tower was not too high for older visitors and that the stairs brought them within 10 centimetres of the hop vines.

The opening came as Boeraeve began the harvest. He said waiting an extra week allowed the hops to ripen further and gave the sun more time to work. He is confident the quality will not be lower, although fewer cones are visible on the plants, particularly near the bottom. In other countries, where harvesting began almost two weeks earlier, growers are already reporting yields 20 percent lower, but Boeraeve said it is too early to know the result in Poperinge.

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The view is fantastic.