JULY 2021
THE belgian coast ~ Seas The day
Well hello there …
Since the forecast for the Summer of 2021 was still very uncertain, due to Covid, and the chance that our children would already be fully vaccinated very small, we decided to spend our summer holiday in our own country. In West Flanders, Knokke-Heist, at only 1h30 from our doorstep.
Sun, sea and the beach are the perfect ingredients to create the ultimate holiday feeling, also in Belgium. Although we don’t have palm trees, our sunsets might be less epic than on an exotic island, and our coast has a negative connotation because of its highly urbanization. It still has got a lot to offer: wide white sandy beaches with fancy beach bars, nice boutiques, beautiful cycling and walking routes, a wide range of quality restaurants and caterers, sport clubs,…
Practical Wisdom
The Belgian Coast with a length of 65km is counting, 19 seaside resorts in 10 coastal municipalities, each with his own character. My personal favourite ones are Knokke-Heist, De Haan and Nieuwpoort. Knokke-Heist in the North, is bordering the Netherlands; De Panne in the South is bordering France.
Most places are accessible by train, and a coastal tram runs between De Panne and Knokke with no less than 68 stops. A day pass costs € 7,5 per adult and € 15 for 3-days. Since there was a stop within walking distance of our rental house, we have used it several times to commute between Heist - Duinbergen and Knokke. It's a convenient, affordable and time-saving way to get around.
We also rented a bike to discover the hinterland. As we stayed in Heist-Aan-Zee, we chose for “Freddy Shop” - www.rollywood.be, where we paid € 30 for a regular bike and € 56 for an electric bike, for 2 days.
The Tourist Hotspots
Heist-Aan-Zee
Where we stayed. Located between Zeebrugge and Duinbergen.Together with Knokke and Duinbergen part of the municipality Knokke-Heist.
In my personal opinion Heist is a little bit less mundane, more middle-class, less “to see and be seen” then Knokke. You will not find the same wide range of shops and restaurants as in Knokke, but “La Plage” Beachbar, caterer “De Traiteur by Vandycke”, pop-up concept store “Zeedijk 278”, and 2 Michelin stars restaurant “Bartholomeus” are definitely of the same level.
Knokke
The Monaco of Belgium. A street scene of chic boutiques, expensive fast cars, golf carts, fancy dressed ladies, a large casino, dogs named Chanelle and Gucci, etc... We come here multiple times a year, as it’s the closest seaside resort to home and the range of shops here is as large as in the big cities. I also enjoy drinking a fresh glass of rosé with my feet in the sand at one of the many beach bars and eating fresh fish dishes in one of the many restaurants. During the summer many pop-up stores are popping up from the fashion city of Antwerp, You will certainly find every new mock or cocktail on the Belgian market here. Once a year the Knokke Oldtimer Rally and Knokke Hipique an international jumping competition take place. Also popular are the mini golf, approach golf and the water sports centre "Lakeside Paradise". It goes without saying that the prices here are higher than the average in Belgium. The spectacle of the "rich and famous" has also increasingly attracted an international audience the last couple of years.
Duinbergen
Located between Heist and Knokke. As the Dutch name suggests located on top of a hill. In my opinion the nicest location to buy a property. Because of the charm that this place exudes, and the beautiful sea views. Here you will also find a very nice mini-golf and one of the best restaurants ( 1 Michelin star ) where I personally have ever eaten "Sel-Gris"
Zeebrugge
A subdivision of Bruges. It is Belgium's most important fishing port and the wholesale fish market located there is one of the largest in Europe. Aside from being a passenger terminal with ferries to the United Kingdom, the harbour serves as the central port for Europe's automotive, agriculture and other industries. Here you can find a small fish restaurant called “’t Werftje”, the oldest establishment of Zeebrugge, serving the best shrimp croquettes of the Belgian coast, according to renowned food critics. This year top chef “Sergio Herman” also opened a pop-up restaurant on the beach serving a fix 3-course menu with mussels and fries in the lead role as the name suggests
( Moules //Frites ).
Cadzand
Located in the Netherlands, next to Knokke. This beach resort is offering wide white sandy beaches were you can bring your dog all year round. In recent years, this seaside resort has been on the rise, certainly partly due to the empire that top chef “Sergio Herman” has build here: The Beach Hotel, Pure C **, Blueness, AIRrepublic. Another beautiful luxury resort to consider is “De Blanken Top”. This year you can also find a nice pop-up store and bar called “Georgie”, where you can find boho style gadgets and taste a very nice liqueur called “Hierbas de las Dunas”. It’s made out of 18 types of herbs, flowers and plants from the North Sea Dunes and has been created by the head chef of Pure C** “Syrco Bakker”. Furthermore, Cadzand does not have such a wide range of shops, bars and dining options than the Belgian coast. But those who like to settle in a quiet spot in the Dunes will find what they are looking for here, rather than in neighbouring Knokke. The cycling route through the Zwin Nature Park to Knokke, is really breathtakingly, although touristic.
Sluis
Located on the shore of the Zwin, bordering Belgium. It’s an old Dutch fortified town with numerous shops and eateries, open 7/7. The town exudes pure Dutch charm and offers a very wide range of grocery stores where you can buy numerous care products at an affordable price. Sluis is easily accessible from Knokke and Cadzand by bicycle.
Damme
Is a popular side trip for tourists who are visiting Bruges or the Belgian Coast. Damme has become known as a book town, with numerous bookshops and regular book fairs. The most popular ways of traveling to Damme are by canal boat that runs during the summer high season or by bicycle, like we did. The bicycle route is along the canal path, offering really nice views. When you arrive, don’t forget to take a picture of one of the smallest candy shops.
Bruges
From Knokke Heist you can easily take a day trip to Bruges. I will not elaborate on this, as I have already devoted another blog post to Bruges.
Goodnight, sleep tight.
We rented a home in Heist-Aan-Zee from “Zalig aan Zee”, they have 6 holiday homes at the Belgian Coast to rent. 2 in Heist, 2 in Knokke, 1 in Damme and 1 in Blankenberge. The houses can accommodate 10 to 20 people and are all equipped with a garden, all modern comfort, and frequent use of scaffolding wood.
We rented the one in the Pannestraat 104, with 3 double rooms, a sleeping loft with 5 to 8 single beds and 3 bathrooms. Downstairs you have a large open kitchen and living room with access to the comfortable garden. In my opinion the greatest asset of the house, with a partially covered terrace with fireplace. Another great asset is the spacious garage, with enough space for 1 car and a couple of bikes. A disadvantage for me was, that there was no air-conditioning, and the windows were not provided with mosquito nets. So before we went to sleep we had to kill a whole gang of mosquitos, every night. Personally, I don't think the sleeping loft is suitable to accommodate 8 children for a week. Especially not, when it concerns teenagers, and temperatures are running high. You enter the house with a personal access code, so not everyone needs to be in possession of a key.
We paid € 2700 for a week, not cheap! But if you can share the price between 2 or 3 families/couples and you find a spacious terrace a serious added value, like we do ? Then the houses from “Zalig aan Zee” are worth considering.
https://zaligaanzee.be
On booking.com you can find plenty of other options for places to stay.
There is one apartment “Residentie TYL” that I would like to put in the spotlight, the landlords are personal friends and we stayed there ourselves a few years ago.
Currently they are rated with an average of 9 on booking.com. So they are doing an excellent job. It’s located close to the beach and the shops and offers 2 bedrooms, 1 with a double bed and 1 with a bunk bed. The entire apartment is nicely decorated by the talented host Bérénice.
My cup of tea
The Pharmacy
Well-known for its cocktails.
https://thepharmacy.bar/Glacier de la Poste
A fixed value, with a very wide range of fresh ice cream flavours.
Georgie
A boho-chic pop-up bar in Cadzand.
https://www.meetgeorgie.nl/
AIR café
Sergio Herman's most accessible address in Cadzand, with stunning sea views, hip beats, a nice lunch option.
https://www.air-republic.com/
Would you like a table?
Côte Belges
Nice bistro bar, with a beautiful and rural location in Ramskapelle. They offer an extensive menu and wine list. Seated on the roofed terrace or at the beautiful bar … I am sure you will enjoy.
https://www.cotebelge.be/
Mas Brassa
The versatile menu is inspired by Spanish as well as South American and Asian cuisine. Delicious fish and meat grills, Pina Caramel as signature dessert.
https://www.masbrasa.be/nl/Point de Vue
Accessible brasserie at the seawall of Duinbergen. We tasted the mussels and the beef and they were of excellent quality.
https://point-de-vue.be/Brasserie Couteau
According to the tabloids they serve the best Belgian stew at the Belgian Coast. They also receive excellent reviews on TripAdvisor. Just that little bit more … people say. I have never eaten here, but next time I am at the coast I will certainly consider.
https://brasserie-couteau.be/Il Trionfo
Family run Italian restaurant with a strong reputation.
https://iltrionfo.be/Blanco
An original mix between Mexican and Mediterranean cuisine, in a very fancy and warm interior. One to keep in mind !
https://www.blanco-knokke.be/Blueness
Blueness is a Japanese-inspired dining-bar concept by Sergio Herman, located in the StrandHotel. Where Pure C** is also located. We dined here a few years ago and I was really blown away by the delicious Asian combinations, the matching drinks, the smooth and friendly service and the affordability. It’s quiet dark inside, but everything adds up.
https://www.bluenessbar.com/
Calypso
Food sharing in a green, contemporary tropical setting. Located next to the entrance of the Knokke Casino. I received some good comments from friends who dined here.
https://calypso-knokke.be/Caillou
Chef Sander earned his stripes in many star restaurants like Sel Gris, Hof van Cleve, etc… He has a penchant for desserts. Co-motivator is Sel Gris chef Frederick, which already creates high expectations for me.
https://www.restaurantcaillou.be/Gellius
Another great address for all Italian food lovers. Ranked as Italian of the year in 2021 by Gault Millau. Good food in a cosy, contemporary setting with an excellent service.
https://www.gellius-knokke.com/Sel Gris *
As I mentioned before, one of the best diners I ever had. Even though the interior seems a bit classic, the service and menu are far from this. We enjoyed it at the fullest from start to finish, and what a top service!
https://www.selgris.be/
I could give up shopping, but I am not a quitter.
My favourite concept / pop-up stores in 2021:
Les Sœurs - Knokke
https://www.lessoeurs.be
3 Sisters with a full time passion for exclusive jewellery and accessories with a personal touch, created in Belgium.
Les Jumelles – Knokke
https://lesjumelles.be/
Les Jumelles is an Antwerp-based webshop leaded by Magalie Aerts. Due to the great success of her affordable and sophisticated collection, she was able to open this pop-up store in Knokke.
CDKN Concept Store – Knokke
https://www.cdknwithfriends.com/
Small and large Belgian entrepreneurs come together and offer a wide variety of products. You will find clothes from “Ministerie van Unieke Zaken”, KlEIR, goodies from The Dough Bar, the Tutu Chic collection, etc …
Dijk 278 – Heist
Nice pop-up store with a colourful cloth collection, an interesting and large book collection, beautiful dried flowers, …
Georgie – Cadzand
As mentioned before a boho-chic store where you will find Ibiza style gadgets and interior elements. As Cadzand is known for it’s Shark Teeth, their collection is inspired by it.
https://www.meetgeorgie.nl/
