Koksijde
Encyclopedia
Koksijde is a municipality
located in the Flemish
province of West Flanders on the North Sea
coast, at the southwest side. It comprises the towns of Koksijde proper, Oostduinkerke
, St-Idesbald and Wulpen
.
of 484 inhabitants per km².
The mayor of Koksijde is Marc Vandenbussche since 2000.
n" Koksijde proper, Oostduinkerke
and Wulpen
. The old town centre of Koksijde proper is located about two kilometers from the shoreline. Close by the sea, a new tourist centre, Koksijde-bad, has developed. A bit to the east on the territory is the hamlet of Sint-Idesbald. The old town centre of Oostduinkerke is located more than one kilometer from the coastline as well, with Oostduinkerke-bad close to the sea. Over 4 kilometers inland is the rural polder
village of Wulpen.
Koksijde borders the following villages and municipalities:
throughout history and showing the daily life of Cistercian monks from the early Middle Ages, beginning in 1107 till the death of the last monk in 1833. The archeological site has been restored, and is open to the public. The attic of the museum contains a remarkable collection of liturgical
silver ware.
The British Military Cemetery (1940–1945) bears witness to British sacrifices in the Battle of Dunkirk
.
The Paul Delvaux
museum in St-Idesbald houses the largest collection of paintings from this Belgian surrealist painter in the world.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
located in the Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
province of West Flanders on the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast, at the southwest side. It comprises the towns of Koksijde proper, Oostduinkerke
Oostduinkerke
Oostduinkerke is a popular seaside resort in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The name Oostduinkerke translates as 'East Dunkirk'. The town originally shared its name with the French city of Dunkirk; therefore, in the 13th century, 'Oost-' was added to its name to avoid confusion with its...
, St-Idesbald and Wulpen
Wulpen
* Wulpen , a village in Belgium, part of the municipality of Koksijde* Wulpen , a former island in the Netherlands...
.
Statistics
On January 1, 2006 Koksijde had a total population of 21,269. The total area is 43.96 km² which gives a population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 484 inhabitants per km².
The mayor of Koksijde is Marc Vandenbussche since 2000.
Towns
The municipality of Koksijde comprises the "deelgemeenteDeelgemeente
A deelgemeente is a subdivision of a gemeente in Belgium and the Netherlands.-Belgium:...
n" Koksijde proper, Oostduinkerke
Oostduinkerke
Oostduinkerke is a popular seaside resort in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The name Oostduinkerke translates as 'East Dunkirk'. The town originally shared its name with the French city of Dunkirk; therefore, in the 13th century, 'Oost-' was added to its name to avoid confusion with its...
and Wulpen
Wulpen
* Wulpen , a village in Belgium, part of the municipality of Koksijde* Wulpen , a former island in the Netherlands...
. The old town centre of Koksijde proper is located about two kilometers from the shoreline. Close by the sea, a new tourist centre, Koksijde-bad, has developed. A bit to the east on the territory is the hamlet of Sint-Idesbald. The old town centre of Oostduinkerke is located more than one kilometer from the coastline as well, with Oostduinkerke-bad close to the sea. Over 4 kilometers inland is the rural polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
village of Wulpen.
| # | Name | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| I (IV) (V) |
Koksijde - Koksijde-Dorp - Koksijde-bad - Sint-Idesbald |
|
|
| II | Oostduinkerke Oostduinkerke Oostduinkerke is a popular seaside resort in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The name Oostduinkerke translates as 'East Dunkirk'. The town originally shared its name with the French city of Dunkirk; therefore, in the 13th century, 'Oost-' was added to its name to avoid confusion with its... |
||
| III | Wulpen | ||
Koksijde borders the following villages and municipalities:
|
Map
Tourism
The museum of the historical Abbey of Ten Duinen is set in a modern building, explaining the religious and cultural importance of this abbeyAbbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
throughout history and showing the daily life of Cistercian monks from the early Middle Ages, beginning in 1107 till the death of the last monk in 1833. The archeological site has been restored, and is open to the public. The attic of the museum contains a remarkable collection of liturgical
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
silver ware.
The British Military Cemetery (1940–1945) bears witness to British sacrifices in the Battle of Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
.
The Paul Delvaux
Paul Delvaux
Paul Delvaux was a Belgian painter, associated with Surrealism, famous for his paintings of female nudes.-Biography:...
museum in St-Idesbald houses the largest collection of paintings from this Belgian surrealist painter in the world.
External links
- Official website - Information available in Dutch and limited information available in French, English and German
- Koksijde's Cinema official website -
- Koksijde Latin Club - Koksijde's yearly salsa festival.