Discover Nieuwpoort: History, Routes and Memorial Sites

Nieuwpoort combines impressive memorial sites with routes through polder landscapes and special insights into the city’s history. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment for a varied stay can combine culture, activity and peaceful nature experiences here. Choosing the right base depends primarily on whether you want to focus on historical sites, a longer cycling or walking route, or the Nieuwpoort city walking route.

History at Westfront Nieuwpoort and the Duvetorre

Westfront Nieuwpoort tells the story of the city’s destruction and how the flooding of the polder area brought the German invasion to a standstill. The exhibition presents this history through unique objects, interactive modules, personal stories and a 180° projection of the IJzer panorama. This provides a tangible introduction to historical events without limiting you to a simple sequence of dates.

The Duvetorre also represents several layers of history. The tower ruins are the remains of the medieval Church of Saint Lawrence. The surviving sections were converted into a fortified water castle in 1384. During the First World War, the Allies used the centuries-old tower as a lookout post. Enemy fire caused its extensive destruction and gave the ruins their present form. Anyone interested in church art, medieval architectural history and traces of the First World War will find a variety of historical points of reference here.

Belfry, monuments and special memorial sites

A distinctive cultural feature is Nieuwpoort’s belfry, with 67 bells. It is played every Friday from 11 a.m. to noon. Between mid-June and mid-September, belfry concerts also take place every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. You can take these fixed times into account when planning your day if a musical event fits your trip.

The Fishermen’s Monument is a life-size statue by the artist Pierre de Soete and a lasting memorial by the city of Nieuwpoort to all Belgian fishermen who lost their lives at sea. A silent memorial ceremony is held there every year on Whit Monday. The Nieuport Memorial commemorates more than 500 British soldiers who fell in 1914 and 1917. Together with Westfront and the Duvetorre, these sites make Nieuwpoort’s different historical memories visible.

Routes through polders and nature

For active days, the Frontzate offers an approximately 13 km-long green corridor for cycling and walking through quiet polders between Diksmuide and Nieuwpoort. The approximate route length is a useful guide when weighing up a longer tour against shorter city visits for your accommodation and daily planning. The route particularly appeals to travellers who want not only to view the landscape but also move through it on foot or by bicycle.

Four barrier-free walking routes suitable for wheelchair users have also been designed in Nieuwpoort, with no obstacles higher than 2 cm and no steep inclines. For orientation within the city, the Nieuwpoort city walking route is 10.1 km long and starts at the Westfront Nieuwpoort visitor centre, Kustweg 2, 8620 Nieuwpoort. You can include this starting point in your planning and then decide whether a city walk or the longer route through the polders better suits your day of travel.

The Nieuwpoort lighthouse stands on the right bank of the IJzer in the De IJzermonding nature reserve. This site complements the historical stops with a natural setting along the IJzer. Anyone who wants to keep different types of day trips open when choosing accommodation can therefore first determine their own priorities: exhibition and history, carillon and memorial sites, or cycling and walking through the polders.

Other places to consider

If you would like to compare other places alongside Nieuwpoort, you can extend your search to Ramskapelle, Damme, Ichtegem, Bredene, Ingelmunster, Gistel, Dentergem and Houthulst. For Nieuwpoort itself, it is worth choosing your holiday apartment according to your preferred travel rhythm: historical visits, scheduled cultural events, a city walk or a longer tour through the polders can each provide the right focus.

For the overarching travel overview: West Flanders.