Knokke-Heist
General Summary
The upmarket holiday resort of Knokke-Heist is the perfect place for a seaside break. Next to the major seaport of Zeebrugge and only a few miles from the Dutch border, its convenient location makes it a popular destination for holidaymakers from all over Europe.
It’s a paradise for nature lovers and sun worshippers alike, boasting 12 kilometres of golden sandy beaches, vast dune areas and 150 hectares of beautiful nature reserve known as the Zwin, where thousands of birds of various species nest in the salt marshes and mudflats.
It’s hard to believe it now, but the area that is now known as Knokke-Heist consisted of nothing more than small, rural villages in a quiet corner of countryside that lay undisturbed for centuries. It was only with the rise in popularity of the Belgian coast as a holiday destination in the 20th century that it became as built up as it is now. The five resort areas that make up the modern administrative district of Knokke-Heist – Albertstrand, Het Zoute, Duibergen, Knokke and Heist – have grown phenomenally in size since over the last century.
It’s a paradise for nature lovers and sun worshippers alike, boasting 12 kilometres of golden sandy beaches, vast dune areas and 150 hectares of beautiful nature reserve known as the Zwin, where thousands of birds of various species nest in the salt marshes and mudflats.
It’s hard to believe it now, but the area that is now known as Knokke-Heist consisted of nothing more than small, rural villages in a quiet corner of countryside that lay undisturbed for centuries. It was only with the rise in popularity of the Belgian coast as a holiday destination in the 20th century that it became as built up as it is now. The five resort areas that make up the modern administrative district of Knokke-Heist – Albertstrand, Het Zoute, Duibergen, Knokke and Heist – have grown phenomenally in size since over the last century.