The town De Panne is one of the most popular beach resorts in Belgium primarily because of its beach which is the widest in the country and covered in white sand. The town is of great importance in Belgian history as it is here that the first King of Belgium, King Leopold I first set foot in the territory in 1831. It was also the dunes between here and Dunkirk that were the scenes for the evacuation of British troops in WW2 that proved vitally important. Both of these events are honoured in the town with a monument for King Leopold and an interesting World War 2 Museum.
Today it is a popular destination for tourists especially in summer. Aside from the beach itself, the surrounding dunes are the oldest in Europe and make for an interesting setting for a stroll.
My friend Nicole each year loves to stay a week at the Belgian coast, although the weather is not guaranteed at all and it can get pretty cold and rainy no matter when you are going.
Before the high season started she rented a flat on the 3rd floor
It was really nice only there was no lift and we had to climb up the stairs !
It was very modern and we had all we needed, even two bedrooms.
The view towards the town
and the view from the apartment ! There were not many people there and the beach was empty, because it still was quite cool and the summer holidays hadn't started yet.
There was enough for kids to play
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Normally the beach is packed with people laying side by side !
The sea can be very rough, as we had one day ! The waves were as high as a one storage house !
Unfortunately the sea front had been completely demolished, only very few houses are still standing between these modern monsters.
Of course you can make more money with high buildings and a lot of flats then renovate charming little houses ! It's a shame, because the whole Belgian coast looks like this.
Walking along the sea front
These vehicles are called "cuistax" and exist since 1853. You can rent them in all sizes from one to 8 people all along the Belgian coast.
Behind the high buildings along the beach La Panne is a pretty little town, with lovely houses. Very well taken care of and decorated.
Somebody sitting in front of the house ....
modern statue
An overall view
Each afternoon we had a drink or an ice cream at this very comfortable restaurant. I loved the lamps which looked like huge eggs.
Brussels Time
