Koksijde

Koksijde
Koksijde
Municipality
	Koksijde Zeedijk (Seadike)
	Flag Coat of arms
	Location of Koksijde
	Koksijde Location in Belgium Location of Koksijde in West Flanders
	Coordinates: 51°06′N 02°39′E / 51.100°N 2.650°E
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	West Flanders
Arrondissement	Veurne
Government
• Mayor	Marc Vanden Bussche (Open Vld)
• Governing party/ies	Liste du Bourgmestre, Vooruit
Area
• Total	50.36 km2 (19.44 sq mi)
Population (2018-01-01)
• Total	21,957
• Density	440/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Postal codes	8670
NIS code	38014
Area codes	058
Website	www.koksijde.be

Koksijde (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈkɔksɛi̯də] ^ⓘ; French: Coxyde [kɔksid]; West Flemish: Koksyde) is a town and a municipality in Belgium. It is located on the North Sea coast in the southwest of the Flemish province of West Flanders.

The municipality comprises apart from Koksijde, the villages of Oostduinkerke, Saint-Idesbald and Wulpen.

On 1 January 2018, Koksijde municipality had a total population of 21,957 on a total area of 43.96 km² (16.97 sq mi), which gives a population density of 499 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,290 inhabitants/sq mi).

Since 1995 Marc Vanden Bussche has been mayor of Koksijde.^[2]

Municipality

The municipality of Koksijde comprises the "deelgemeenten" Koksijde, Oostduinkerke, Saint-Idesbald and Wulpen.

The old town centre of Koksijde is located about two kilometres from the shoreline. Close by the sea, a new tourist centre, Koksijde-bad, has developed. A bit to the west on the territory is the hamlet of Saint-Idesbald. The old town centre of Oostduinkerke is located more than one kilometre from the coastline as well, with Oostduinkerke-bad close to the sea. Over four kilometres inland is the rural polder village of Wulpen.

Koksijde, deelgemeenten and neighbouring villages. The yellow areas are urban areas.

Koksijde borders the following villages and municipalities:

a. Nieuwpoort (city)
b. Ramskapelle (Nieuwpoort)
c. Booitshoeke (Veurne)
d. Veurne (city)
e. Adinkerke (municipality De Panne)
f. De Panne (municipality)

Tourism

The museum of the historical Ten Duinen Abbey is set in a modern building, explaining the religious and cultural importance of this 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 archaeological site has been restored, and is open to the public. The attic of the museum contains a remarkable collection of liturgical silverware.^[3]

The British Military Cemetery (1940–1945) bears witness to British sacrifices in the Battle of Dunkirk.^[4]

The Paul Delvaux Museum in Saint-Idesbald houses the world's largest collection of works by the Belgian painter Paul Delvaux.^[5]

Sports

The annual Duinencross Koksijde cyclo-cross race, part of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, takes place in the municipality. In 1994 and 2012 the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships were held here.

Koksijde operates the Koksijde Golf ter Hille golf club.

Gallery

Hoge Blekker, highest dune on the Flemish coast
Koksijde, church: de Sint Pieterskerk
Aerial view of Koksijde
View of the dunes.

Sister cities

Albina and Galibi, Suriname.^[6]

References

^ "Wettelijke Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2018". Statbel. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
^ "Marc Vanden Bussche legt voor de vijfde keer eed af als burgemeester Koksijde". Krant van West-Vlaanderen (in Dutch). 3 January 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
^ "Abdij Ten Duinen". Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed (in Dutch). 23 December 2021.
^ "Coxyde Military Cemetery". Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed (in Dutch). 23 December 2021.
^ "Refurbishment for the Paul Delvaux Museum". Focus on Belgium. Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs. 15 September 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
^ "Koksijde vrijt met Albina". Parbode (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 December 2021.

External links

Koksijde travel guide from Wikivoyage
Official website - Information available in Dutch and limited information available in French, English and German