Oostduinkerke (; french: Ostdunkerque ; vls, Ôostduunkerke) is a place in the

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

province of

West Flanders ) , settlement_type = Province of Belgium , image_flag = Flag of West Flanders.svg , flag_size = , image_shield = Wapen van West-Vlaanderen.svg , shield_size = , image_map ...

, where it is located on the southern west coast of Belgium. Once a municipality of its own, Oostduinkerke now is a sub-municipality in the municipality of

Koksijde Koksijde (; french: Coxyde ; vls, Koksyde) is a town and a municipality in Belgium. It is located on the North Sea coast in the southwest of the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises apart from Koksijde, the villages of O ...

. The name "Oostduinkerke" translates as 'East Dunkirk'. The town originally shared its name with the city of

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

; therefore, in the 13th century, 'Oost-' was added to its name to avoid confusion with its namesake further to the west. Oostduinkerke lies amidst a

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

area (approximately 2.4 km²), which is now a protected nature reserve. Oostduinkerke's sandy beach stretches from 250 to 700 m at ebb-tide and extends over 30 km, via De Panne to the beach of

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Shrimp fishing on horseback in Oostduinkerke --> Shrimpers on horseback

Oostduinkerke is known for its

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...

ers on horseback, a considerable tourist attraction. The practice was once common across the coastal areas of the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...

, but today it is only present in Oostduinkerke, where 17 fishers remain active as of 2021.

Sights

Oostduinkerke has several museums. The National Fishery Museum gives a historical survey of

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

fishery Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...

and shows among other things scale models of fishing boats from 800 AD up to the present, and an original fisherman's cottage. Other museums are: 'The Key and Lock Museum' (a unique historical survey of 3,000 years of keys and locks), a regional museum 't Krekelhof (a huge collection of craft objects and curiosities from the 19th century), and Florishof (old crafts and folkloristic objects). Oostduinkerke is also home to Koksijde Golf ter Hille, a par-72 golf course. The British Military Cemetery (1940–1945) bears witness to British sacrifices in the

Battle of Dunkirk The Battle of Dunkirk (french: Bataille de Dunkerque, link=no) was fought around the French port of Dunkirk (Dunkerque) during the Second World War, between the Allies and Nazi Germany. As the Allies were losing the Battle of France on ...

Images

File:Oostduinkerke mouettes.jpg, Oostduinkerke seaside apartments File:Sand-Yachting-0016-7.web.JPG, Sand-Yachting on Oostduinkerke beach File:Oostduinkerke - Sint-Niklaaskerk 2.jpg, Sint-Niklaaskerk in Oostduinkerke Cloned Paardenvisser by William Sweetlove (DSCF9833).jpg, Cloned Paardenvisser statue Shrimp fishing Brabançon draft horse in Oostduinkerke (DSCF9699).jpg, Brabançon draft horse on the beach

References

External links

National Fishery MuseumMap of the Flemish coast
{{bct Populated places in West Flanders Koksijde et:Wulpen