The best MTB trails around Hondschoote

This is the church of Steenkerke, opposite the house of Willem Vermandere, singer, poet, and sculptor, and often hosts exhibitions of his work. If you stand with your back to the church, you can see Willem Vermandere's front door. There are statues carved from wood and stone in his garden. This house was once the De Kroon inn. Now, Steenkerke has only one café left, on the corner of the street where you can get delicious picon.

The castle isn't open to the public except for specific events, so check the calendar. It's located just across from Beauvoorde's beautiful church and cemetery. A little further down the street, you'll also find the old pancake bakery and pancake house. You used to be able to visit both, but now there's a vending machine selling the famous Beauvoorde pancakes.

For the affluent middle class, the sea wall served as a kind of urban boulevard at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, perfect for strolling. Not only the sea wall, but also the buildings along it reflect this urban living culture. The villas form a continuous development and are situated on narrow plots. Furthermore, the facades always face the sea, ensuring optimal views of the beach and the water. All these characteristics are still evident in Villa Doudou. This cottage-style house from 1901 was designed by Albert and Alexis Dumont and was originally called "Titikot." It is a narrow, deep house with three stories under a mansard roof. The sea view clearly takes precedence here, as the front door is located on the first floor (half a floor above street level) and opens directly onto the living room, making the living space the width of the building plot. The use of beveled windows also contributes to this effect. The house has a separate service entrance that leads directly into the basement and is intended for staff. The villa is a protected monument, but today it sits wedged between two tall apartment buildings, a typical image of current coastal development. Source: Walking Guide Heritage Walk De Panne

The sculptor is Fernand Vanderplancke, and the bronze caster is Peter Berghman (Roeselaere, 1964). In 1994, De Panne commissioned Bruges sculptor Fernand Vanderplancke, who lives in Oostduinkerke, to create a work of art that references the sea and is constantly in motion. The result is three seagulls atop a 7-meter-high pole. "The stylized seagulls symbolize the freedom that is central to a beach holiday at De Panne. The seagulls are connected at only a few points and hang on a pole at a height of seven meters." Source: De Panne, beeld voor beeld, Cultuurdienst

The kitesurfing school is beautifully located, but I don't know if you're even allowed to surf in that area of the city beach.

A Touch of Fantasy Malo-les-Bains is a lively seaside resort where Belle Époque villas exude a touch of fantasy. Book a small hotel just steps from the beach, lay your towel on the golden sand, and enjoy the lively atmosphere.

watch out for the border

Anecdote: The tower of the old church was used as a strategic lookout post by the Belgian troops. The tower provided a crucial overview of the battlefield and helped coordinate the defense against German attacks. A special moment was when a Belgian reconnaissance patrol on November 1, 1914 discovered that the hamlet had been abandoned by the Germans after the flooding of the area. They found about 300 German bodies in the area, which emphasized the intensity of the fighting and the impact of the flooding.