Nieuwpoort, De Panne and Veurne

You cycle through Nieuwpoort, where the IJzer river flows into the North Sea, and then through Oostduinkerke. This seaside resort in the dunes is the only place in the world where shrimp are still caught on horseback, as was done until the mid-twentieth century. The horse fishermen are recognized as Flemish cultural heritage. Shrimp are still caught with manpower using trawl nets in Oostduinkerke. 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, measuring about 33 meters. At De Panne you turn inland. De Panne is the westernmost town in Belgium and the southernmost seaside resort on the Belgian Coast. From the second half of the 19th century, De Panne increasingly became a tourist seaside resort from a fishing village. Now many visitors also come to the popular Plopsaland amusement park.

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