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Routes
Hiking trails & Routes
Belgium
Flanders
West Flanders
Bruges
Knokke-Heist

View of the Zwin – Zwin Dunes and Polders loop from Het Zoute

Routes
Hiking trails & Routes
Belgium
Flanders
West Flanders
Bruges
Knokke-Heist

View of the Zwin – Zwin Dunes and Polders loop from Het Zoute

Moderate

4.5

(102)

730

hikers

View of the Zwin – Zwin Dunes and Polders loop from Het Zoute

03:10

12.5km

20m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: February 22, 2026

Waypoints

A

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

1.99 km

Beach

Beach

2

4.67 km

Yourcenar Trail

Highlight • Trail

The name of this path refers to the writer Marguerite Yourcenar. Her internationally known novel (The Hermetic Black) is partly set in the dunes near the Zwin. Until the end of the 19th century, this dune, forest and meadow area was still in constant evolution due to the influence of the sea. It looked like the current Zwin with mudflats, salt marshes and gullies.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

3

4.74 km

The hopping hare that you can find in the dunes at the end of the sea wall of Knokke is a bronze sculpture by Barry Flanagan. Although the official name is Hospitality, the hare is also called keuning van’t Zwin, Bugs Bunny or t' keun by the locals.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

4

5.03 km

View of the Zwin

Highlight • Viewpoint

The Zwin with its unique character, due to the regular flooding from the sea, can be seen very well from this platform. This tidal landscape with mudflats and salt marshes is a favourite destination for many birds and is therefore called the international airport for birds.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

5

5.58 km

Forest-Rich Hiking Trail

Highlight • Trail

Beautiful shady path

Translated by Google •

Tip by

6

5.99 km

Four stone pillars

Highlight • Monument

Knokke-Heist is a real art city. On every corner you will find works made of stone, steel or synthetic resin, also here in the middle of nature. The four colossal blocks are by Ulrich Rückriem, who also worked on the Cologne Cathedral Building Works. The stones he carved from Austrian granite rocks weigh a total of 48 tons.

You can still see the traces of his work. Let your associations flow: Does the ensemble remind you of part of Stonehenge? Or to a portal? The special thing about this work: Even though everything is so raw, it seems perfect. This is probably because the proportions follow mathematical principles and the work of art fits into the surrounding nature.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

7

6.43 km

Zwin hiking route

Highlight • Trail

The Zwin is a protected nature reserve, a true paradise for fauna and flora.

Before you start your adventure, take a look at the exhibition space.
Your Zwin experience starts here.

Hiking trails take you along the hut trail. The information in the cabins makes your visit a total experience. Enjoy the beautiful views in the watchtower. Every season has different protagonists here.
Tip, plan a visit during school holidays or during the weekends, then guides will be happy to give you a word of explanation along the hut trail.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

8.10 km

Ruins

Ruins

9

11.1 km

Keunepad

Highlight • Trail

On this route you can choose the hare path or just hop after the rabbits. This is a nice connecting path between the dunes and the Zenopad, inland.
Enjoy it.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

10

11.9 km

Zwin Dunes and Polders

Highlight • Natural

With an area of 222 hectares, this approximately 200-year-old dune area forms a natural transition between sea, beach and polder.

Until the end of the 19th century, these dunes, forests, pastures and meadows were constantly changing under the influence of the sea. The area looked like today's Zwin; with mudflats, salt marshes and gullies closed off on the sea side by a belt of dunes. The Zwin dunes and polders only got their present form in 1872-1873, when the international dike was built to protect the area from the sea.

Since then, man has left clear traces here again and again: in the summer of 1929 the area was a golf course (although you had to putt and hit between sheep, because it was still used as pasture), shortly afterwards a horse racing track and riding arena were built. International show jumping competitions were held on it until the 1960s. The Kleyne Vlakte next door was even converted into a 40-acre airport in the early 1930s.

Even the world wars left their mark on this tactically important area. Large areas were concreted over.

In 2002 the Flemish government bought the area and from 2004 it was restored. Today you can experience it in "natural", if not really original splendor, with fauna and flora, which ultimately can only survive here thanks to careful human intervention.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

B

12.5 km

End point

Bus stop

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Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

6.28 km

2.71 km

1.96 km

1.54 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

5.89 km

3.42 km

1.74 km

1.16 km

258 m

< 100 m

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Elevation

Elevation

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Weather

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Wednesday 20 May

19°C

11°C

-- %

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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

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