Spanjaardduin — one of the tallest foredunes in the country — is located right on the border between Bredene and De Haan. If you’re seeking absolute wilderness, there’s no better place to come. You’ll need to climb 28.6 metres to get to the top! In fact, the dune is still getting a few centimetres taller every year due to the strong westerly winds.
Well-kept secret
There’s no such thing as mass tourism here, and the flora on offer is utterly unique as a result. Rare dune orchids are just some of the species you’re likely to encounter. Pieter Pourbus, the famous cartographer, included Spanjaardduin on his maps as early as 1500. He christened it De Blekkaert, and it is still popularly referred to by that name today.
A giant with history
During the Siege of Ostend, the Spanish used this dune as an observation point, and it got its current name — ‘Spanjaardduin’ means ‘Spaniard’s dune’ — as a result. The combat troops also used the dune as a place to set up camp, due to its elevated and dry position. King Leopold II had grand plans for this peak too: walking paths and a chalet at the top. Unfortunately for him, he was never able to realise his vision.
He did however succeed in having a golf course built from the dune down to Klemskerkestraat. During the First and Second World Wars, bunkers sprung up all over the coastline. The battles here were so intense that the golf course was destroyed. Nature took over in its wake, and with the creation of Paelsteenpanne, it was given complete free rein.
Gaze in every direction
The climb to the top will take you along winding dune paths, on which children are guaranteed to have boundless fun! Once you’ve reached the top, prepare to claim your reward: a view that stretches for miles and miles. You can see all the way from Ostend to Zeebrugge. If you look east, you’ll see the spires of Lissewege and Bruges. Turn south, and you’ll get to enjoy the vast polder landscape.