Leopold Square – The Barkentijn loop from Nieuwpoort

Hiking trails & Routes

Leopold Square – The Barkentijn loop from Nieuwpoort

Easy

4.4

(8)

400

hikers

Leopold Square – The Barkentijn loop from Nieuwpoort

00:54

3.50km

10m

Hiking

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: September 25, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

106 m

Searching for Utopia by Jan Fabre

Highlight • Monument

One of his most famous works of art, Utopia or the "tortoise" by Jan Fabre in the vernacular, is a real eye-catcher in Nieuwpoort-Bad.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

1.22 km

Saint Bernardus Church, Nieuwpoort-Bad

Highlight • Religious Site

It is a neo-Romanesque building from 1923, built to replace a similar church building from 1877. The church was severely damaged not only during the First but also during the Second World War. The repairs of 1947 determine the current appearance. The yellow brick facades rest on a bluestone plinth. The distinction between the Romanesque St. Bernard's Church and the Gothic churches of Nieuwpoort-Stad and St. George is clear at a glance.

Source: dekust.be/nl/doen/sint-bernarduskerk

Translated by Google •

Tip by

1.95 km

Leopold Square

Highlight • Settlement

Beautiful, clean beach promenade with typical restaurants.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

2.63 km

The Barkentijn

Highlight • Historical Site

De Barkentijn in Nieuwpoort is a holiday centre with a rich history and unique architecture. Originally built around 1868 as a luxurious residence, it has had various functions over the years, from a country retreat for the nobility to a refuge for war orphans. The current building, built in Norman style, dates from 1924 and offers a unique view of the evolution of Nieuwpoort as a coastal town.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

2.80 km

Nieuwpoort Beach Promenade

Highlight • Beach

Nice for walking

Translated by Google •

Tip by

2.93 km

Nieuwpoort Beach

Highlight • Beach

Nice to visit once.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

3.24 km

Demarcation Post No. 2 - Nieuwpoort-Bad

Highlight • Monument

The demarcation post in Nieuwpoort-Bad (officially Demarcation Post No. 2) is a historical monument marking the northernmost point of the Western Front during World War I. The granite column symbolizes the extreme limit of the German advance and the place where the enemy was finally halted.

A demarcation post (or borne Vauthier) is a memorial stone designed by the French sculptor and veteran Paul Moreau-Vauthier. In the 1920s, a total of 118 posts were erected along the entire 650-kilometer front line, from Nieuwpoort on the North Sea to the Swiss border. Today, 19 of these posts remain in Belgium.

Symbolism and appearance: the post is about a meter high, made of red Alsatian granite, and is full of maritime and military symbols.
The top: atop the post rests a Belgian soldier's helmet (Adrian type with a lion's head) on a laurel wreath.
The sides: carved military equipment, including a canteen, a gas mask, hand grenades, and laurel branches.
The inscription: the post bears the text in three languages (Dutch, French, and English): "Here the invader was stopped"

Destruction and restoration in WWII: the confrontational text on the posts was an eyesore for Nazi Germany. During the occupation in World War II, the Germans ordered the multilingual inscriptions on the West Flemish demarcation posts to be chiseled away. It was not until September 1991 that the damaged inscriptions on the posts in Nieuwpoort were officially restored and rebuilt to their former glory.

Historical significance of Post No. 2
The German attack (1917): Although the front on the Yser stabilized in October 1914 due to the deliberate flooding of the polders, the post in Nieuwpoort-Bad specifically commemorates a later, fierce battle. On July 10, 1917, the Germans launched a surprise attack (Unternehmen Strandfest) on the British lines on the coast to thwart an Allied offensive.
Extreme limit: German stormtroopers managed to push the Allies back to the mouth of the Yser, but could not cross the harbor channel. The post stands exactly at the spot where this bloody advance was halted.

Showing Translation

Tip by

3.34 km