Damme () is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

located in the Belgian province of

West Flanders West Flanders ( nl, West-Vlaanderen ; vls, West Vloandern; french: (Province de) Flandre-Occidentale ; german: Westflandern ) is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the No ...

, six kilometres northeast of Brugge (

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...

). The municipality comprises the city of Damme proper and the villages of Hoeke, Lapscheure, Moerkerke, Oostkerke, Sijsele, , and . On 1 January 2006, the municipality had a population of 10,899. The total area is 89.52 km², giving a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

of 122 inhabitants per km². In the 13th century, Damme was the port for Bruges, to which it was linked by the river Reie. The river has now been canalised into the long, straight, treelined and picturesque Damse Vaart, which continues across the Dutch border to Sluis. The line of the town's star-shaped fortifications can still be traced by lines of tall poplar trees and in places by a moat. It was the site of the Battle of Damme, fought on 30 and 31 May 1213, when an English fleet under the Earl of Salisbury captured scores of French ships and their cargo of gold, silver, wine and other victuals. Well-known Damme inhabitants include

Jacob van Maerlant Jacob van Maerlant (c. 1230–40 – c. 1288–1300) was a Flemings, Flemish poet of the 13th century and one of the most important Middle Dutch authors during the Middle Ages. Biography Jacob van Maerlant was born near Bruges ...

, a medieval poet and the town clerk of Damme until his death in around 1300, and

Karel Verleye Father Karel Verleye, O.F.M. Cap., (17 April 1920 – 27 February 2002) co-founded the College of Europe in Bruges in 1949 with his good friend Hendrik Brugmans. He was a Capuchin friar for 64 years. In 1945 he became philosophy lector at the B ...

, co-founder of the

College of Europe, who died in Damme in 2002.

Tourism

Today, Damme is a popular side trip for tourists who are visiting Bruges and is a popular venue for eating out, and a destination for boat trips. Damme has more recently become known as a

book town A book town is a town or village with many used book or antiquarian bookstores. These stores, as well as literary festivals, attract bibliophile tourists. Some book towns are members of the International Organisation of Book Towns. List of bo ...

, with numerous bookshops and regular book fairs. The most popular ways of traveling to Damme are by canal boat that runs during the summer high season or all year round by bus or bicycle. The bicycle route is along the canal path taking the same route that the canal boat takes.

Maps

File:Damme, Belgium ; Deventer map.jpg, Damme on the Deventer map (around 1558) File:Damme - Dammvm (Atlas van Loon).jpg, Damme on the

Atlas van Loon The ''Atlas van Loon'' was commissioned by Frederik Willem van Loon of Amsterdam. It consists of a large number of maps published between 1649 and 1676: * ''Volumes I to IX:'' The Dutch edition of Joan Blaeu's ''Atlas Maior'' (''Grooten Atlas' ...

(around 1649) File:Damme, Belgium ; Ferraris Map.jpg, Damme on the Ferraris map (around 1775)

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control Municipalities of West Flanders