Viral Belgian Pub Makes You Give Up Your Shoes for Beer

Belgium is best known to travelers for great beers, delicious waffles, and picturesque scenery. Ghent, one of the largest cities in the Dutch-speaking Flanders region, is also home to a world-famous pub with a unique theft prevention method. 

Dulle Griet is located on Ghent's bustling Vrijdagmarkt square in the center of the city. The pub has the largest collection of Belgian beers in town, with more than 500 options to choose from including rare Trappist beers, red ales, and porters. Ambitious beer drinkers can order their brews in a tall 1.2-liter glass shaped like a unique vase. Think a classier version of a Señor Frog's novelty cup made of glass instead of plastic. 

Naturally, Dulle Griet's "Max" glasses have attracted worldwide recognition, and the pub is proud of their global reputation. To keep visitors from stealing them, the bar implements a one-of-a-kind way to prevent people from taking the glass home as a souvenir (though it would be hard to walk out the door with it unnoticed anyway). If you want to order your beer in a Max glass, you have to hand over one of your shoes to a server in exchange. They then put it in a collection net and lift it up toward the ceiling, only to be returned by one of the workers once you finish your drink. 

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European tourism has continued to rebound after the pandemic in 2023, with travelers from all over the world flooding the continent for the summer travel season. A viral TikTok from American traveler Brooke Barry shined a spotlight on the popular Ghentian spot as she recorded her boyfriend handing over one of his sneakers and drinking his massive beer. 

Vrijdagmarkt is a must-see site in Ghent, so make sure you don't miss stopping in at the Dulle Griet for a Max beer before you leave.