De Haan
Belgium · West Flanders · 5 m
Description
De Haan is a quiet seaside village on the Belgian coast and the one stretch of that shore never given over to apartment towers. When Leopold II opened the dunes to development at the end of the nineteenth century, the concession required the Anglo-Norman cottage style and allowed only a few storeys, and the resulting villa quarter known as De Concessie survives as a protected ensemble of Belle Époque architecture set among pines and garden hedges. The listed tram station of 1902, half-timbered and painted green and white, still serves the coastal tram and stands as the village emblem. Albert Einstein spent the summer of 1933 in the Villa Savoyarde here after leaving Germany, walking into the village each afternoon for coffee. Wide beaches, the Duinbossen dune woods and the oldest links course on the Belgian coast make De Haan a family resort rather than a day-trip stop.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: June – August
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- De Haan Beach
- De Concessie Villa Quarter
- De Haan aan Zee Tram Station
- Bruges(Day trip)
- Zeedijk Promenade
- Villa Savoyarde (Einstein House)
- Duinbossen Dune Woods
- Ostend(Day trip)
- Spioenkop Dune
- Koninklijke Golf Club Oostende
- Wenduine
- D'Heye Nature Reserve
- Blankenberge(Day trip)
- Coastal Cycling Routes
- Klemskerke Village