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Hidden gems in Knokke-Heist
Step away from the busy seafront of Knokke-Heist and you will find quiet nature and polder churches full of stories in Heist and the villages inland.
- Kleiputten van Heist: from the Moerstraat in Knokke-Heist you reach the Kleiputten van Heist nature reserve. Peat and clay were dug here as early as the Middle Ages, and clay extraction between 1950 and 1970 left shallow pools fringed by reed marsh. A bird hide that is always open looks out over the central pool, where avocets, redshanks and bluethroats breed.
- Sashul: between Elisabethlaan and Gustave Van Nieuwenhuysestraat in Heist rises the Sashul, a mound more than 5 metres high made of shell-rich sand. Together with the neighbouring Vuurtorenweide it draws water rails, snipe, lapwings and marsh harriers, while migrating songbirds rest in the thorny scrub.
- St Nicholas Church in Westkapelle: in the polder village of Westkapelle stands the Gothic hall church of Sint-Niklaas. After a fire in 2013 it was given a surprising new interior: the fire-scarred neo-Gothic altars were deliberately kept, and contemporary artists designed new stained-glass windows. At night LED lights illuminate the new spire of its octagonal tower.
- Schettekot in Ramskapelle: the brick tower of the Sint-Vincentiuskerk in Ramskapelle dates from the 13th or 14th century, while the church itself was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1863 and 1864. Beside the tower stands a wooden schettekot, a shed where animals were auctioned as offerings until the 1980s. Look out for the sundial from 1762 by the entrance as well.
Practical tips
These tips help you get even more out of your visit to Knokke-Heist.
- Tides: plan a beach walk or a bike ride along the coast with the tide table.
- The weather: the weather page shows the forecast and hours of sunshine for the coming days.
- By bike: most sights are easy to reach by bike.
» View our complete 'see & do' list with many more museums, attractions, monuments and other places of interest.