Nieuwpoort, De Panne and Veurne

You cycle through Nieuwpoort, where the river IJzer flows into the North Sea, and then through Oostduinkerke. This seaside resort in the dunes is the only place in the world where shrimps are still caught on horseback, as was done until the middle of the twentieth century. The horse fishermen are recognized as Flemish cultural heritage. In Oostduinkerke, shrimps are still caught with manpower using trawls. Koksijde is known for its location in the dunes.

In the Hoge Blekker nature reserve you will find the highest dune on the Belgian coast, about 33 meters high. At De Panne you turn inland. De Panne is the westernmost place in Belgium and the southernmost seaside resort on the Belgian coast. From the second half of the 19th century, De Panne increasingly changed from a fishing village to a tourist seaside resort. Nowadays, many visitors also come to the popular amusement park Plopsaland.

You cycle via Veurne back to the starting point of your route. Veurne is located in a former salt extraction area. It was already a fortified town in the 9th century, which was walled in the 14th century. The Gothic buildings around the Grote Markt date from the 13th century, when the cloth trade brought wealth to Veurne. You will also find many 17th century buildings in regional Renaissance style in the Flemish town, built in the Spanish period.