There’s a stunning piece of greenery to be found just where Bredene merges into De Haan: the D’Heye nature reserve. These 48 hectares of unspoilt nature date back more than a thousand years. Expect to see a vast colour palette of dunes, heather, fields and meadows.
In spring, large sections of this area are flooded — and there’s no better time to see nature come back to life. The first rays of spring sunshine magically conjure a thousand and one shades of green into being.
If you’d like to witness the scene for yourself, make sure you hire a guide, as there’s no other way to access the reserve. If you’re not much of a planner, a walk around the edges of the reserve is still absolutely worth your while. You’ll get plenty of glimpses of the enchanting atmosphere from the surrounding roads.
Unique things to see
- Centuries-old fossil dunes
- A unique collection of plants
- Rare, fairy-talesque fungi
- An insect paradise brimming with butterflies and other small critters
Book
If you’d like to visit D’Heye, you’ll need to book onto a guided tour. The guided walks start from the junction of Batterijstraat and Koerslaan in Bredene.