The Vlaamse Doel is a ghost village. Houses are neglected and almost all residents have left. For a long time, Doel was slated for demolition, but now the Flemish government is going to investigate how Doel can be rebuilt.
Only a handful of people still live in Doel. The village is actually only popular with artists, tourists and a few old residents.
The exodus from Doel started more than 20 years ago. The government allowed as many residents as possible to move to other places. A new port area had to be built on the site of Doel. But that didn't happen: there will now only be a new terminal next to Doel. However, the village still stands, but as a ghost village.
The Flemish government now wants to do something about this.
Doel is literally close to Antwerp, on the Scheldt River. There is a nuclear power plant on the north side. The harbor is on the south side.
At the end of the 1990s, approximately 1,000 people lived in Doel. Then the demolition plans became concrete: due to a construction freeze, buyout, demolition and dilapidation, there are now only a few dozen. Doel is now often visited by people who come to look at the decay and graffiti.