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Contact | Secretariaat
Martine Pollier
Zandstraat 324, 8200 Brugge
T +32 50 322 420
info@archipelvzw.be

Visit

The sea as margin

Coastal tram from De Panne to Knokke
2024
Saturday
07.09
09:10
De Panne -> Knokke-Heist

With the support of:

The coastal tram strings together 67 stops between De Panne and Knokke-Heist. It runs along 67 km of coastline with – on one side – an immense view of an endless sea: a unique setting within our increasingly silting urban landscape. The other side is a strung-out fabric of buildings with a few more patches of dune landscape.

Filip Dujardin Star of the Sea, Ivan Morison, Bruges Triennial 2024

The coast remains a powerful pole of attraction and faces many challenges: coastal protection, ageing, de-greening, affordable housing for young families, dealing with heritage, second-stayers and seasonal activities, tourism, care, but also poverty, employment and economy, energy and port activities. During the tram tour, we will zoom in on some of these challenges.

In 2025, the Coastal Tram will celebrate its 140th anniversary. The first tramway ran from Ostend to Middelkerke Dorp on 5 July 1885 in the presence of Leopold II. It was a long wait for this connection, knowing that the first train in Belgium ran the route between Brussels and Mechelen in 1835 and between Brussels and Ostend from 1838. For a long time, the Queen of Beaches was the only place on the coast with a train stop, but Blankenberge and Nieuwpoort followed in 1863 and 1869. From inland, the coast was then further opened up, but a connection along the coastline was still missing. This connection was initiated by tourism, but also from agriculture and industry to facilitate markets. It took several more decades to complete the tram network. Today, the Coastal Tram is one of the main icons of the Belgian coast and coastal tourism.

On this day trip, we tell the story of the coastal tram and ride from De Panne all the way to Knokke-Heist. Along the way, we traverse landscapes ranging from beautiful dunes, open beaches, the picturesque De Haan and the ubiquitous Atlantic Wall and view heritage that testifies to rich seaside tourism in the past, new real estate development and some Beaufort 2024 works. We will visit a dozen places and provide lunch in Ostend and a coffee stop in Blankenberge.

Hera Van Sande


Hera Van Sande


Hera Van Sande


Hera Van Sande


Hera Van Sande

Hera Van Sande


Hera Van Sande


Hera Van Sande


Hera Van Sande


Hera Van Sande

Hera Van Sande


Hera Van Sande


Hera Van Sande


Hera Van Sande


Hera Van Sande

PRACTICAL

We will gather at 9h10 at the SNCB train stop in De Panne.
This will allow time for registration at the start and departure by tram at 9h30.
The end is scheduled at the SNCB train stop of Knokke-Heist around 17h30.

Given the distance between the coastal tram start and end stations, it is recommended to travel to De Panne by public transport and back from Knokke by public transport.