Along the Dutch and Belgian coast

We start our road trip in Alkmaar, the cheese town of Holland. Whether you like cheese or not, you can't miss a visit to the Cheese Museum. Apart from cheese, the city has a lot more to offer and is the perfect kick-off for our roadtrip along the Dutch and Belgian coast. In Alkmaar, you will learn all about the Golden Age of Holland. The Stedelijk Museum introduces you to the city's rich history with a wonderful collection. By the way, did you know that there is a Beatles museum in Alkmaar?

After Alkmaar, we continue to Haarlem, close to the beach on the river Spaarne. After a few hours of wandering along monumental buildings and beautiful old squares, we enjoy our time in a cosy bar. Haarlem is not called the most Flemish city of the north for nothing. Be sure to walk along one of the twenty almshouses that the city counts. Next stop: Amsterdam. A lot has already been written about Amsterdam, too much to mention here. What we can say for sure: in this world-famous 17th century city, you can easily spend a weekend without getting bored.

Halfway between The Hague and Rotterdam lies the lovely town of Delft. Delft charms many people with its historical centre and the many canals. The city is known for its famous "Delft Blue". Delft is a nice stop before we drive on to Europe's largest port and the 'Maashattan' of the Netherlands: Rotterdam. Rotterdam has many faces, on the one hand it is a tough port city where container terminals and warehouses are lined up over a distance of 20 km. On the other hand, Rotterdam is a trendy nightlife city, a chic shopping city - just think of the large Markthal and the indoor shopping centre - but also a hip artists' city. As the nickname 'Maashattan' suggests, Rotterdam is known for its architecture and ever-changing skyline. Modern high-rise architecture occupies an important place there. A day in Rotterdam therefore promises a varied programme of art, architecture, shopping and not forgetting trendy places to eat.

On this part of the route, we will cross the Nieuwe Maas and Oude Maas rivers and then explore Zeeland via the Haringvliet Bridge and the Grevelingendam.

Zierikzee is a charming port city with more than 500 monuments! This number places the city in the top 10 of Dutch monument cities. We took a pleasant stroll through the impressive silhouette of the city walls and gates, churches, towers, windmills and lovely boutiques in authentic houses.

The next Zeeland town is Middelburg, a town that can be traced back to the 9th century when the Vikings invaded Europe. During the time of the VOC, Middelburg was - after Amsterdam - the most important city of the Netherlands and that rich history is still visible. After wandering around the cosy streets, we ended up at the Markt for a bite to eat and a drink. We got a breath of fresh air on the Westerschelde estuary in Vlissingen, the city with the longest boulevard in the Netherlands.

Let's face it, the Flemish coast is a string of towns, villages and districts. A wall of apartment buildings separating the sea and the beach from the inland. But the Belgian coast also has its charms. First on our agenda: a long walk in the Zwin nature reserve. This large nature reserve lies partly in Zeeland and partly in West Flanders and is an attraction for all kinds of birds. Throughout the entire reserve, you will find observation huts. If bird watching is not your thing, you can also just enjoy this beautiful piece of nature.

In Knokke-Heist you have several beaches. The most beautiful stretch is in Het Zoute, where the background is formed by dunes and pine forest. On the other side is the nature reserve De Baai van Heist. You can explore Knokke from the dyke, while walking with an ice cream in your hand. The seaside resort also offers plenty of other entertainment: from sailing, surfing, SUP and kiting to an evening in the famous casino. Tip from locals: let yourself be pampered culinarily in restaurant 't Werftje in Zeebrugge!

After Bruges, we head for the coast again, this time to Blankenberge and Ostend. The only pier along the Belgian coast can be found in Blankenberge, which attracts families and surfers. By the way, did you know that this is the first pier on the European mainland? The pier was built in 1933, just before the one in Scheveningen. Furthermore, the Blankenberge pier serves as an exhibition area, there are several restaurants and it is a promenade. Don't want to see towering apartment buildings? Then you have to go to De Haan, no flat blocks, but belle-epoque villas.

In Ostend, you can take a lovely walk under the Venetian galleries on the boulevard. The classical colonnade is often used as a public exhibition space. In the open-air museum Atlantikwall Raversyde, you will find a part of the infamous German defence system, the Atlantikwall. The Atlantic Wall dates back to the Second World War and is a two-kilometre-long network of tunnels and trenches that connect around sixty buildings and structures. In the bunkers, lifelike situations are recreated to give visitors an idea of what it must have been like. Not far from there, you can also see the reconstructed fishing settlement of Walraversijde.

Last but not least: Koksijde and De Panne. On our roadtrip through the Westhoek, we already went to these two coastal towns. Here you find the largest dune massif on our coast. The West Coast really invites for long walks through the dunes or on the beach. De Panne offers next to this nature reserve also the widest beach of Belgium. Had enough of the coast for a while? In De Panne, you can visit the famous amusement park Plopsaland. An unforgettable day out for young and old.

In Koksijde, you can spot shrimp fishers on horseback at low tide. Shrimp fishermen are recognised by Unesco as protected heritage in Belgium.