The best running trails around Blankenberge

The Lonely Jester of the Marina. As you pass the Paravang, you suddenly encounter this mysterious, somewhat sad figure with his checkered suit and jester's cap. This bronze artwork is the "Monument for a Saltimbanque" (a French term for a travelling acrobat or street artist), created by local artist Yves Rhayé. The statue forms a beautiful, contrasting interplay with the location. Where the Paravang was the place for the rich aristocracy to stroll and gossip elegantly in the early 20th century, here now stands a symbol of the poor, travelling folk artist who had to entertain the rich back then. The posture: the saltimbanque stands bent over, as if tired from performing or lost in deep thought, listening to the lapping water of the marina behind the glass wall. Nice detail: the Paravang itself (a corruption of the French pare-vent) was specially built at the time to protect the chic bathers from the strong, cold sea wind, so that their fashionable hats would not blow away!

From fishing port to yacht paradise. Did you know that until the beginning of the 20th century, there were no luxurious yachts here, but sturdy Blankenberge boats? For centuries, the city had no harbour and fishermen had to drag their boats onto the beach with horses after each catch. Only in 1871 was this harbour basin opened. After the total destruction of the harbour infrastructure in the Second World War, the city changed course: fishing gave way to tourism. In 1955, Blankenberge opened a modern marina, becoming one of the first Belgian coastal towns. Today, the harbour, including the former sluice basin, accommodates around 1,000 pleasure boats.

A beautiful dune landscape. There are constant views of the North Sea and the Blankenberge Belgium Pier. Simply enjoy the fresh sea air!

Place where adventures begin or end. Historical significance: Blankenberge station became a terminus on 1 October 1908. The new station building was put into use in 1937. Over the years, renovations and additions had somewhat affected the architectural value of the building, but it retained its value as a testimony to interbellum architecture. Despite its heritage value, the station was demolished in November 2013. It was replaced by a brand new complex. All this is happening as part of a renovation project for the station area. The new station building was completed in 2018. Two hotels are located above the station. The new Blankenberge station hall is a glass building so that travellers have a view of the Stationsplein from the platforms.

The name of the city ‘BLANKENBERGE’ is written here in large letters to welcome train passengers arriving in the city. The artwork is 27 meters long and 2.5 meters high. Want to have your picture taken with Blankenberge? You can do that here.

nice walk through the city to the Dr, from the Prinsenlaan.

In the 13th century, the historic Grafenkanal was dug to create a direct waterway for trade between Bruges and the coast. This resulted in a unique landscape of dunes and polders. Today, these narrow strips of dunes form a green oasis between the N34 coastal road and the sea. The special mixture of fresh and salt water – known as brackish water – has created a valuable habitat for rare plant and animal species. The De Fonteintjes nature reserve is managed by Natuurpunt and is an important refuge for amphibians, breeding birds, and rare plants.

Blankenberge boasts three impressive nature reserves: De Fonteintjes, the Zeebos, and the Uitkerkse Polder. De Fonteintjes is characterized by a diverse landscape: freshwater dune lakes, wet dune grasslands, and dense dune scrub. It's remarkable that these dune valleys were artificially created in the 15th century and have evolved into natural habitats over time. The freshwater lakes are located only about 100 meters from the sea—a rare phenomenon made possible by a freshwater lens beneath the dunes.