A Belgian coastal resort town with a 2.5-mile sandy beach, art nouveau architecture, and a century-old pier. The Sea Life aquarium has local marine species.
Blankenberge, a coastal town in West Flanders, Belgium, has a 350-meter Art Deco pier stretching into the North Sea. Along the wide sandy beach, a promenade lined with restaurants and cafes extends for several kilometers. At Sea Life Blankenberge, you can watch injured seals recover in rehabilitation pools, while at Zoo Serpentarium, you'll walk past glass enclosures housing pythons and green iguanas. The town's Art Deco casino stands out with its white facade and distinctive baby statues.
Getting to Blankenberge
Direct trains connect Blankenberge to Brussels, making the journey in 1.5 hours. From Bruges, the train takes 15 minutes. The coastal tram (Kusttram) stops at four locations in town: Market, Train Station, Pier, and Sea Life. If driving, take the E40 highway and exit 8 toward Blankenberge.
The Belgium Pier and Beach
The 350-meter concrete pier, built in 1933, is the only one on the Belgian coast. Walk inside to find a seafood restaurant serving fresh North Sea catch, a renovated ballroom hosting weekly dance events, and a rooftop bar with views across the coastline. The beach stretches far in both directions, with rows of blue and white beach huts along the shoreline. The water remains calm enough for swimming from June through September.
Marine Life and Animals
At Sea Life Blankenberge, injured seals recover in rehabilitation pools before their release back into the wild. Walk through 50 aquariums containing over 2,500 sea creatures, including blacktip reef sharks and yellow seahorses. Zoo Serpentarium, Belgium's only reptile zoo, houses rare species like the green tree python and poison dart frogs in climate-controlled vivariums.
Belle Epoque Architecture
The Belle Epoque Centre tells the story of Blankenberge's 1870-1914 development through photographs, furniture, and Art Nouveau objects. You can see how vacation homes and hotels transformed the former fishing village. Next door, Majutte's House, an 18th-century fisherman's dwelling turned museum-café, serves local specialties like lukken (thin Belgian waffles) and mattentaarten (puff pastry with milk and almond filling).
Annual Events and Festivals
The town celebrates several festivals throughout the year. During the flower parade (Bloemencorso) on the last Sunday of August, 30 floats decorated with dahlias and begonias move through the streets. In June, international artists create 40 large-scale sculptures during the World's Largest Sand Sculpture Festival on the beach.
Where to Stay
Hotel Saint Sauveur, 100 meters from the beach, has rooms with sea views and an indoor swimming pool. The family-run Hotel Tropicana on Consciencestraat combines hardwood floors with modern bathrooms and includes a street-side bar. The four-star Aazaert Hotel, located two blocks from the town center, has soundproofed rooms and an in-house restaurant serving Belgian cuisine.
