De Panne Things to Do

At the corner of the Zeelaan nr 21 and the Lindelaan you find the City Hall.

In font of the City Hall there is a big rusty anchor. This shows that fishing is one of most important business is over here in De Panne.

After you have discovered the Hoge Duinenlaan, you see the Kykhill at the end of the road.

This park is the only dune which survived the building over in the city centre.

In 1892 the French building contractor Arthur Bonzel laid out the current Zeelaan. This connection between the Veurnestraat and the beach deviated from the geometrical pattern. The street meandered between the dunes. In this way the magnificent dune area was maintained.
It was on this dune that the fisherwomen watched for the arrival of their husband and sons. That explains the name "kykhill" (kyk = look) so look-hill.

At the end of the 19th century the first cottages appeared on this dune massif. In this park several trees are provided with nameplate, like this an educational walk was created. And at the top of the hill there is a picnic place.

Between 1892 and 1913 there was a general urbanisation in De Panne by the Brussels architect Albert Dumont.

Like this the Dumont district was created.
Special for this neighbourhood are the rural cottages which were placed in the dunes, but with lots of respect for the natural dune relief.

After World War One they introduced a kind of modernistic style with flat roofs, strongly rounded angles and big windows.

Since 1995 this Dumont district is protected as city view with certain monuments and important buildings.

In the right corner of the Koning Albertplein, leaves a small road. You only can access this road by bike or on foot.

This small road has the typical name: Konijnenweg (Rabbit road). Maybe because it goes straight over and through one of the former dunes, a bit like the rabbit pipes in the dunes.

I must tell you that parts of this road are pretty steep, as I did certain parts on foot with my bike on my hand (I was with an ordinary city-bike, so not with a race bike or a mountain bike).

Along this small road you can see several beautiful old villas.

At the corner of beach road and Dr A Depagelaan stands the former Grand Hotel de L'Ocean.

During World War I, this hotel was used as a front hospital, it was opened on December 21th 1914 and run by the Belgian Red Cross.
There was room for 1800 patients. During this war more than 20.000 patients were helped here.

There is still a Remembrance plate for The Belgian Queen Elisabeth, who was a nurse here during this First World War

The dresses were beautifully decorated. Also the decoration of the face was very special.

I hardly can wait to leave for my trip to Ecuador. The moment I write this, it is still three weeks to go . . .

The music that these young musicians of Ecuador were playing was very spiritual.

They also were selling CD's with their music.
I think that this music would be excellent, to sit in a seat and relax and start meditating.

As I was walking along beach road, I suddenly heard indian music. Curious as I am, I wanted to hear and see more.

It were a group of young indians from Ecuador which were playing native music.

It was kind of coincidence that I encountered this musicians here, as in a dfew weeks I would leave for a roundtrip in Ecuador.

"Oh yes, Ecuador, here I come" was the feeling inside of me.