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.
18 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeBelgiumFlanders
Middelkerke
Flanders, Belgium · Europe
About Middelkerke
Middelkerke works well as a base: 5 minutes from Leffinge, 18km from Koninklijke Baan Coast Road.
Middelkerke is in Flanders, Belgium, with about 18,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Leffinge, about 4 km away.
Middelkerke (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɪdəlˌkɛrkə]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders, on the North Sea, west of Ostend. The municipality comprises the villages of Leffinge, Lombardsijde, Mannekensvere, Middelkerke proper, Schore, Sint-Pieters-Kapelle, Slijpe, Westende and Wilskerke. OnRead more
January 1, 2006, Middelkerke had a total population of 17,841. The total area is 75.65 km2 which gives a population density of 236 inhabitants per km2.
The first reference of 'Middelkerca' is found in 1218. Before 1876 it mainly was a farming settlement.
In 1902, Middelkerke became the world's first municipality to have their drinking water disinfected by continuous chlorination.
The mayor of Middelkerke at this moment is Jean-Marie Dedecker.
Where to Stay in Middelkerke
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Middelkerke?
Within an hour or so of Middelkerke: Koninklijke Baan Coast Road (18 km), De Panne Beach (19 km), Bruges Markt (28 km), Belfry of Bruges (In Bruges) (28 km).
Are there any good drives near Middelkerke?
The nearest famous roads are Koninklijke Baan Coast Road and Brouwersdam.
Where is Middelkerke?
Middelkerke is in Flanders, Belgium, about 4 km from Leffinge.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 17,789
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Belgium
- Region
- Flanders
- Timezone
- Europe/Brussels
- Coordinates
- 51.1853, 2.8208
Tags
Worth the detour from Middelkerke
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
beach
De Panne Beach
Belgium's widest sandy beach, famous for land-yachting and bordering the wild Westhoek dunes near the French border.
19 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Bruges Markt
The medieval heart of Bruges, where the climbable Belfry tower looms over a square of stepped-gable guild houses.
28 km · about 35 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.
28 km · about 35 min 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.
29 km · about 35 min drive
cafe
In de Vrede
The abbey café opposite Saint-Sixtus monastery in Westvleteren: effectively the only place on earth to reliably drink Westvleteren 12, long rated the world's best beer, at the source with a slab of abbey cheese.
33 km · about 40 min drive
museum
In Flanders Fields Museum
Set in Ypres' rebuilt Cloth Hall, this museum tells the harrowing story of the WWI Western Front trenches.
37 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Menin Gate
A vast memorial arch bearing 54,000 names of the missing, where the Last Post sounds every evening at eight.
37 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Middelkerke
- 18 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.
- 71 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.
- 71 kmWesterscheldetunnelTolled 6.6-kilometre road tunnel under the Western Scheldt linking Zeelandic Flanders to Zuid-Beveland, replacing two ferries.
- 77 kmOosterscheldekeringThe colossal storm-surge barrier crossing the Oosterschelde, the showpiece of Holland's Delta Works flood defences.
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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