Adinkerke: Discover nature and cultural heritage

Adinkerke is a destination for visitors who take nature and culture into account when choosing where to go. Its attractions range from fossil dunes and wetlands to church and industrial history. This mix of themes can be a useful starting point when choosing a hotel: would you like to explore open landscapes and bodies of water, or learn about the region’s history?

Landscape and trails

The Cabour Dunes, also known as the fossil dunes of Adinkerke, are among the best-preserved fossil dune areas in northwestern Europe. For a landscape-focused walk, the circular route “De mooiste plekjes van Adinkerke” is worth exploring: it passes ponds, fossil dunes and open landscapes.

Zwarten Hoek offers a different perspective on the landscape. The area is a former sandstone quarry; its pits, up to 10 metres deep, are now filled with clear groundwater and rainwater. Zwarten Hoek is also a 20-hectare wetland. A circular trail runs around the ponds, where waterbirds can regularly be spotted. This brings together the site’s distinctive origins and a practical opportunity to observe nature.

The Vijvers Markey also originated from sand extraction. They were later restored and redesigned. Together with the pits at Zwarten Hoek, they illustrate two different chapters in the history of the landscape: a former sandstone quarry with water-filled pits on the one hand, and ponds created through sand extraction and later redesigned on the other.

Two starting points are also named for choosing a route: the “De Panne in WO1” war walk begins at Adinkerke railway station. The “Adinkerke” walking tip starts at the Groene Corridor. Depending on your interests, you can choose a historical walk or a walk titled Adinkerke.

Churches and local history

The first Romanesque church of the fishing and farming settlement then known as Oyenkerke was consecrated in 1120 by Blessed Jan van Waasten. He was Bishop of Terwaan, in what is now French Flanders; at the time, the region belonged to his diocese. Today’s Sint-Audomarus Church has a 900-year tradition and is the mother church of De Panne’s two other parish churches. Its location between dunes and polders is distinctive.

When considering the history of Sint-Audomarus Church, its tradition and building history should be distinguished: the original church building dates from the Middle Ages, while the present church was built around 1855. It is a neo-Gothic hall church designed by Bruges architect Pierre François Buyck. Visitors interested in architectural styles will therefore find both a long ecclesiastical history and a specific example of neo-Gothic architecture here.

War and industrial history

The Adinkerke field battery is located on the south side of the Cabour estate. It is a well-preserved section of the Atlantic Wall and is now a protected monument. The Cabour WO II & 2/4 Lansiers Museum presents the history of the Second World War in the region through objects, texts and touchscreens. Both topics offer a historical perspective on your trip, with the field battery focusing on a surviving structure and the museum presenting the subject through various media.

The history of water extraction is another local topic. At the Water Extraction Museum, visitors can view old equipment and get a glimpse of the old pumping station. Check the visiting arrangements before your visit. On the Cabour estate, the preserved core buildings of the first water extraction facility form an industrial archaeological ensemble. Industrial history thus complements the nature and church themes with another perspective on the region’s past.

For the broader travel overview: De Panne.