De Panne
West Flanders is one of the five provinces of Flanders in Belgium and the country's westernmost. It encompasses Belgium's entire coastline and thus is a favourite travel destination for Belgians in the summer months.
Sobre De Panne
West Flanders is one of the five provinces of Flanders in Belgium and the country's westernmost. It encompasses Belgium's entire coastline and thus is a favourite travel destination for Belgians in the summer months. By far the most popular and beloved among tourists is the province's capital, Bruges, thanks to its unique medieval charms. Otherwise, West Flanders is mainly an agricultural and suburban region. There are many open fields between the small towns and villages and the general flatness of the region make it ideal to go on a cycle holiday. As is the case in much of Belgium, decades of poor urban planning and heritage policies (where most old buildings have been replaced rather than refurbished) have lead to the destruction and disappearance of most historical architecture and wide open spaces. Nevertheless, for the tourist seeking towns with bucolic historic centres, West Flanders does have more to offer than the ever popular Bruges alone: towns such as Veurne, Diksmuide, Ypres (Ieper), and De Haan (by the sea) all have well-preserved historic centres not unlike those of Bruges – and they are far less overrun by tourists! Most open landscapes and historic centres are nowadays found in the more thinly populated western part of the province.