For over a century, Knokke-Heist has been Belgium’s most popular and, probably, most beautiful, seaside resort town. It was a small fishing village when Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830. Rapid transformation soon introduced grand mansions and hotels in the French Second Empire style.
Two neighborhoods in the town have revived traditional Flemish architecture: Heulebrug and Duinbergen. The most extensive achievement of the Flemish Revival was Duinbergen’s 125-acre section of homes, businesses, and public buildings. The Heulebrug section is a more recent revival of the historical Flemish style.
