SAbove the sand dunes, the tufts of ammophila arenaria seem to dance in the wind. All around, a silent marine landscape is revealed, diluted in the surf of the sea and in the chirps of some passing seagulls. A bucolic, relaxing vision, immersed in long amber beaches and in the vivid light of the coast of Flanders, Belgium.
Yet, there is something that doesn’t add up. A thirteen meter long canoe carries fragile human figures ten meters above sea level, while nearby a mysterious man, long-limbed and with bronze curls, observes it. From another side, an amorphous-looking eight-metre yellow silhouette emerges from the sandy mounds.
The strange “creatures” are two contemporary art sculptures (the first is The man who saw the boat, in the air from 2006 by Jean Bilquin, the second Olnetop of 2012 by Nick Ervinck) included in the Beaufort Permanent Sculpture Park, open-air museum – and free – stretching along the entire coast between the towns of De Panne on the border with France and Knokke-Heist near the border with Holland, 67 kilometers overlooking the North Sea full of art, culture and surprising locations.
Flanders, on the tram along the coast
The intriguing museum was born in 2003 after the first edition of the Beaufort Triennial (triennalebeaufort.be/ennext appointment in 2027) designed to enhance the coast through land art. Today, the widespread sculpture park includes around fifty works – from 2 to 20 meters high – created by international artists, such as Jan Fabre.
The Kusttram running along the Belgian Atlantic coast from De Panne to Knokke-Heist. Photo by Massimo Ripani.
Furthermore, after each edition of the Triennale it expands with the installations acquired by the ten municipalities involved in the event. If the extensive exhibition of art “giants” is unique in Europe, there is another that is no different. AND the Kusttram, the public tram that not only connects the two towns at opposite poles, but is also the longest tram line in the world: it runs along all the kilometers of the coast with 68 stops. A means, therefore, sustainable and economical (the daily ticket at a cost of 9 euros allows you to get on and off as you like) to explore the area, reach the works of art and enjoy the landscape that passes by the windows.
A walk among the murals in Ostend
The mural Opia of Durone, along the route The Crystal Ship in Ostend. Photo by Massimo Ripani.
An excellent base for discovering the coast is Ostend, almost in the center of the coast. Considered the queen of Flemish seaside destinations, it combines culture, liveliness and good gastronomy based on fresh fish, mussels, oysters and shrimp. The strong point of the city is the extensive pedestrian promenade Albert I Promenade, animated by numerous restaurants and bars. It is ideal for walking, cycling, relaxing while breathing in the crisp salty air and “meeting” open-air art.
Near the moving monument dedicated to those fallen at sea (crumpled orange-red blocks up to 20 meters high that seem to have been dragged ashore by powerful sea waves, right in front of the Casino Kursaal Ostende), a bronze woman tenderly displays her pregnancy in a fountain. These two works too, Rock Strangers by Arne Quinze e Moeder by Femmy Otten, are part of the permanent installations of Beaufort Park. But other protagonists steal the artistic scene in the streets of the town. These are over 80 murals of various sizes included in the route The Crystal Ship (thecrystalship.be/en) fannual street art summer event among the most important in Europe. Created in 2016, it is a colorful, continually evolving museum of urban art, created with spray cans, stencils and brushes. And then there is him, the city’s most famous son: James Ensor. The painter and printmaker, born in Ostend in 1860, was a precursor of surrealism and expressionism with a predilection for the grotesque. To understand his art, you visit the James Ensorhuis (ensorhuis.be), the large house-museum of the visionary artist which also includes the ancient family workshop. A jumble of slightly crazy objects, an inspirational source in James’ eccentric creativity.
On board the museum ship
The Mercador museum ship, in the port of Ostend. Photo by Massimo Ripani.
In Ostend, the gaze has to deal with the visual distortion of the bulky condominiums, but the city repays the view with the Art Nouveau homes, the houses of the historic center, the Leopold Park, an enchanting green lung with a pond and sculptures scattered among centuries-old trees, and with the sea that flirts with the daily rhythm of the low and high tides. Speaking of waves, the Mercator, a three-masted sailing ship, the last training ship for officers and sailors of the Belgian merchant navy, in operation from 1932 to 1960, has sailed many around the world. Anchored in the port, it is open to visits. Following rails and art, with the Kusttram from Ostend to Middelkerke (towards the south) you can enjoy the most fascinating tramway stretch: the panorama extends over beaches and dunes (with an almost total absence of buildings), a vision that restores to the gaze the image of the intact scenarios of the past, a marvel. As are the works of art between the sea and the shoreline.
In Flanders, the work of art in the waves
The work Three Wise Noses of De Panne by Harald Thys and Jos de Gruyter, al Beaufort Sculpture Park in Belgium. Photo by Massimo Ripani.
Getting off at Mariakerke (Bad stop), a “tower” made up of large stones piled up like sandbags appears in the water. A sort of imaginary barrier against the harmful rise of the sea. It’s the setup Pillage of the Seaby the artist Rosa Barba, whose visibility is dictated by the flow of the tides. Arriving, however, at Middelkerke (Krokodiel stop), the imposing one comes into view Caterpillar & Flatbed Trailer created by Wim Delvoye: the work – 21 meters long – symbolizes modern times with the tracked vehicle and the medieval era with the decorations of a Gothic church. The result? An immense and robust “lace” of corten steel. Continuing on foot along the seaside promenade you quickly reach another visual suggestion: I Can Hear It. This is the installation by Ivars Drulle, made up of two enormous gramophones facing the water with a young bronze woman next to her intent on listening to the singing of the waves.
Horseback shrimp fishing
The North Sea is a constant presence in the culture and life of the Flemish. The close connection is evident in Saint-Idesbald, near Koksijde, in the house-museum of the Belgian painter Paul Delvaux who loved to define his art as “poetic realism”, to be admired in over 10 rooms of the museum. The artistic flair also materializes in the strong-impact installation Three Wise Noses of De Panne by Jos de Gruyter and Harald Thys, distinguished by three titanic heads positioned on as many columns with their bases in the sand, unmissable (stop Canadezenplein, De Panne). The connection with the sea is also evident in an ancient maritime tradition. Just go to Oostduinkerke, known for the unusual gray shrimp fishing carried out by fishermen on horsebackwhich has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Enchantment of Magritte
We change scenery in De Hann, towards Holland. In the small town, you are immersed in the Belle Époque period – especially in the Concession neighborhood – in a harmony of well-kept streets, villas with gardens and half-timbered houses in Anglo-Norman style. Albert Einstein was enchanted by it: here, in 1933, he spent his summer holidays. Continuing, the last stop of the Kusttram is in Knokke, at the station.
The town (united in 1977 with Heist and 4 other suburbs), the most elegant on the Flemish coastis a destination for the Belgian and international upper class. The “dolce vita” can be felt while walking in the central area (in the Het Zoute district), where you will find luxurious villas, boutiques, art galleries and starred restaurants.
A curiosity: in the Knokke Casino – inaugurated in 1930 – stands out Le Domaine enchantéa gigantic mural made up of 8 panels 4 meters high. The paintings – taken from the works of Magritte – were created in 1952-1953 by a team of painters supervised by Magritte himself. THEFinally, for an immersion in nature you go to the nearby Zwin Nature Park, 300 splendid hectares of biodiversity. Made up of wetlands, woods, dunes and lakes, it is the refuge for numerous species of birdsbut also for travelers in search of ancestral Flemish landscapes, to be enjoyed to the fullest in the silence and the blowing of the wind.
René Magritte’s painting “Le domaine enchanté (II)” exhibited on 31 October 2013 at Christie’s in New York. The oil on canvas is part of the Impressionist and Modern Art evening auction scheduled for November 5, 2013. Photo: AFP/Don Emmert AFP PHOTO/Don Emmert
Where to sleep in Flanders
Upstairs Hotel
Hertstraat 15, Ostend. Hotel with a post-industrial-minimal atmosphere. Functional rooms and buffet breakfast. In a strategic position to explore the city, a few steps from the lively seafront. Double
in b&b from €103. upstairshotel.com/en
Villa Verdthe
Elizabetlaan 8, Knokke-Zoute, Knokke-Heist. Pleasant 3-star hotel, in a former private residence from 1910. It offers romantic settings and 9 welcoming rooms with names dedicated to Verdi’s works. Located 100 meters from the beach it is a landmark in Knokke’s seaside history. Double room in b&b from €245. hotelvillaverdi.be/en
Where to eat
Bistro Ma Belle
Zeedijk 231, Middelkerke. Informal local fish restaurant, with large glassed-in terrace overlooking the sea and small
internal room. From the menu: mussels in multiple variations, calamari croquettes, prawn meatballs. bistromabelle.be
Dunas
Zeedijk-Duinbergen 300, Knokke-Heist. Gourmet restaurant by the young and talented chef Fran Mertens. Among refined furnishings and soft lights, you can taste sea and land dishes with creative touches. dunasdine.be/nl
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