landmark
Bruges Markt
The medieval heart of Bruges, where the climbable Belfry tower looms over a square of stepped-gable guild houses.
15 km · about 30 min drive
EuropeBelgiumFlanders
Knesselare
Flanders, Belgium · Europe
About Knesselare
Knesselare works well as a base: 5 minutes from Sint-Joris, 23km from Gravensteen.
Knesselare is in Flanders, Belgium, with about 7,900 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Sint-Joris, about 4 km away.
Knesselare (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈknɛsəˌlaːrə]) is a village and deelgemeente in the municipality of Aalter and a former municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprised the towns of Knesselare proper and Ursel.
The municipality's name is derived from the Germanic wordsRead more
"klisse" (herb) and "laar", (a soggy brushwood terrain), and was first attested in 1128.
Knesselare became an independent parish in 1171. It was originally a village heerlijkheid, but during the rule of Louis II, Count of Flanders (1330–1384), the area had been split into four different administrations. Until the 19th century, large parts of the municipality still contains forests and heaths.
On 1 August 2015, Knesselare had a total population of 8,171. The total area was 37.27 km² which gives a population density of 219 inhabitants per km².
Effective 1 January 2019, the municipality was merged into Aalter.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Knesselare?
Within an hour or so of Knesselare: Bruges Markt (15 km), Café Vlissinghe (15 km), Belfry of Bruges (In Bruges) (15 km), Ghent (23 km).
Are there any good drives near Knesselare?
The nearest famous roads are Koninklijke Baan Coast Road, Brouwersdam and Chimay Street Circuit.
Where is Knesselare?
Knesselare is in Flanders, Belgium, about 4 km from Sint-Joris.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 7,889
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Belgium
- Region
- Flanders
- Timezone
- Europe/Brussels
- Coordinates
- 51.1393, 3.4128
Tags
Worth the detour from Knesselare
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
cafe
Café Vlissinghe
Bruges tavern serving continuously since 1515: likely Belgium's oldest café, with a Flemish Renaissance interior, a stove-warmed main room and a boules garden out back; Van Dyck is said to have paid in paintings.
15 km · about 30 min drive
film location
Belfry of Bruges (In Bruges)
The 83m medieval belfry that Ray climbs and falls from in the climax of In Bruges.
15 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Ghent
Vibrant medieval Flemish city with stunning canal-side architecture, the Gravensteen castle, and the famous Ghent Altarpiece.
23 km · about 25 min drive
castle
Gravensteen
A grim moated stone castle of the Counts of Flanders rising straight from the canals in the centre of Ghent.
23 km · about 25 min drive
cathedral
Saint Bavo's Cathedral Ghent
This Gothic cathedral guards the Van Eyck brothers' luminous Ghent Altarpiece, a landmark of European painting.
24 km · about 30 min drive
coastal drive
Koninklijke Baan Coast Road
The N34 'Royal Road' hugs nearly the whole Belgian coast, sharing its corridor with the world's longest tram line and passing Belle Epoque De Haan, dunes and beach resorts.
30 km · about 35 min drive
tunnel
Western Scheldt Tunnel
At 6.6 km the longest road tunnel in the Netherlands, diving under the busy Western Scheldt shipping lane to link Zeeland with Zeelandic Flanders since 2003.
37 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Knesselare
- 30 kmKoninklijke Baan Coast RoadThe N34 'Royal Road' hugs nearly the whole Belgian coast, sharing its corridor with the world's longest tram line and passing Belle Epoque De Haan, dunes and beach resorts.
- 37 kmWestern Scheldt TunnelAt 6.6 km the longest road tunnel in the Netherlands, diving under the busy Western Scheldt shipping lane to link Zeeland with Zeelandic Flanders since 2003.
- 37 kmWesterscheldetunnelTolled 6.6-kilometre road tunnel under the Western Scheldt linking Zeelandic Flanders to Zuid-Beveland, replacing two ferries.
- 57 kmOosterscheldekeringThe colossal storm-surge barrier crossing the Oosterschelde, the showpiece of Holland's Delta Works flood defences.
- 62 kmZeeland BridgeElegant 5 km bridge over the Oosterschelde estuary, the longest in the Netherlands when opened in 1965. Its endless procession of arches makes one of the country's most photogenic drives.
- 75 kmBrouwersdamDelta Works dam carrying the N57 between two Zeeland islands, with the North Sea on one side, the Grevelingen lagoon on the other, and kitesurfers filling the sky.
Driving in Belgium
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.74/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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