Jabbeke: Art, Nature and Trails

Jabbeke offers a range of themes for a stay: the Permeke Museum, historic sites and trails, and natural areas with opportunities for walking and cycling. If you are looking for a hotel in Jabbeke, the focus of your trip can help you choose. The attractions and routes each offer something different—from art and local history to landscapes and wildlife.

Art and History in Jabbeke

At the Permeke Museum, you can visit the former home and studio of Constant Permeke. The museum comprises the former family home, the artist’s painting studio and his sculpture studio. Its collection includes more than 200 works: around 80 paintings, around 60 sculptures and around 70 drawings. These approximate figures also give an idea of the variety of artistic forms represented.

A visit to the museum garden offers a different kind of break: the garden is open to everyone during museum opening hours and can be used to relax, meet up and picnic. The museum’s opening hours therefore determine when you can visit. A practical option for cyclists is the “Permeke Achterna” route, which starts at the museum; free parking is available at the starting point.

The Sint-Blasius Church also has a clear historical connection: the neo-Gothic church was built in 1871 to a design by Bruges architect Antonius Verbeke. Its cemetery contains the grave of Constant Permeke and his wife Marie Delaere, as well as a tomb featuring a sculpture by George Minne. The museum and church thus offer different perspectives on the region’s artistic and architectural history.

Natural Areas and Wildlife

Vloethemveld is a 365-hectare natural area comprising woodland, heathland, nutrient-poor grasslands and nutrient-poor water. Its character is also shaped by its military heritage and the history of a prisoner-of-war camp. Various routes for walkers, runners and cyclists start at the access gate in Jabbeke. The visitor gates in Jabbeke and Zedelgem provide information boards, public toilets, parking, bicycle charging stations and picnic benches.

De Hoge Dijken lies partly within Jabbeke and partly in nearby Oudenburg. The 52-hectare natural area offers opportunities for quiet recreation, including walking and fishing; guided tours are held regularly, and there is a visitor centre. The De Grote Zaagbek visitor centre and four bird hides are also among the visitor facilities. A circuit around the water takes about an hour.

Wildlife gives the area another distinctive feature: up to 6,000 birds winter in and around De Hoge Dijken each year; numbers may vary by season and year. The area also provides a habitat for plants, butterflies, insects and mammals. By contrast, Vloethemveld is described primarily as a varied landscape, complemented by its military history. The natural areas thus differ both in their described habitats and in the visitor opportunities mentioned.

Walking Trails with Different Foci

The walking options differ in theme and wayfinding. The signposted Permekeweg follows the lives and heritage of Constant Permeke, Pieter De Rudder and the du Bus de Gisignies family. The Pieter De Rudder Walk, on the other hand, is not signposted: it leads through the centre of Jabbeke and connects heritage, stories and hidden places. The difference between a marked route and an unsigned walk is a practical consideration when choosing.

Other routes pass through a range of local and landscape settings. The Juffrouwen De Man Walk goes through Varsenare past medieval castle estates, old paths and religious heritage; along the way, you will also encounter places with traces of Roman and Celtic history. The Jacob van Maerlant Walk introduces Snellegem, Jacob van Maerlant and ’t Oosthof, and leads through an archaeological landscape with Merovingian traces.

The 11-kilometre Nachtegaalpad is a circular route. It starts near the Stalhillebrug and heads towards Nieuwegebrug. The Oudlandpolder Walk passes through Stalhille and links polders, a canal, church heritage and natural areas. For longer walks, the Vloethemveld network of trails stretches for 53 kilometres between Zedelgem and Jabbeke, with several starting points. The route information therefore covers different distances and themes, and the walks do not all have the same character. Details of the walks may change; check the latest information before setting off.

Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests

When choosing between art, history and nature, the specific highlights can help: the Permeke Museum brings together the artist’s home, studios and an extensive collection; each trail focuses on different people, places or landscapes. Vloethemveld and De Hoge Dijken add nature experiences to the choice, while at De Hoge Dijken it is also worth bearing in mind that bird numbers vary by season. If you are looking for a hotel in Jabbeke, you can start by considering which of these themes matter most for your stay.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Stalhille, Varsenare, Snellegem, Lendelede, Koksijde, Anzegem, Lichtervelde, Avelgem.

Back to the regional travel overview: West Flanders.