Dune Hoge Blekker

De Hoge Blekker is a nature reserve of 18 ha. With a height of 33m, it is the highest dune in the country. It owes its name to the fact that the sailors already saw it from afar shining ('bleaching') through its bare crown in the sun off the coast.

The Hoge Blekker was already known to the Celts, who called the dune 'Geso riae', 'Zandberg by the stream'. It is literally a walking dune, which was displaced by the wind: De Hoge Blekker is said to have arisen somewhere between St-Idesbaldes and De Panne, around the year 1500. It is a parabolic dune that had a walking character for a long time and since its creation several kilometers has moved in a northeasterly direction. When the dune threatened to submerge the Ter Duinen Abbey around the 13th century, the abbey community tried to fix the dune by planting large-scale trees. This temporarily kept the Blekker in place. The Galloperduin slid past to the south of the Abbey and the Blekker remained in place. However, the planting of a submerged abbey Ter Duinen 2.1 km projection probable location current location Hoge Blekker Hoge Blekker 17th century Abbey of Our Lady ten Duinen in Koksijde. Pieter Pourbus d. A. 1580 At the bottom right, the Hoge Blekker can be seen moving towards the abbey of Ter Duinen THE WALKING HIGH BLEKKER, THE STRENGTH OF THE DUNE the dune has the side effect that the dune grows in height and is therefore difficult to control in the long run. This predicament, which absorbed more and more money, forced the abbey community to move to a new place of residence and to leave the Ter Duinen Abbey behind. Due to the disappearance of the vegetation, the Hoge Blekkerduin quickly shifted over the abbey grounds. In the course of the 17th century, the ruins of the once prestigious abbey were completely submerged under the dunes. De Blekker walked on to his current location. Where the dune is no longer or much less under the influence of wind and weather due to the surrounding urbanization. This gave planting the opportunity to develop and fix the dune. As a result, the Hoge Blekker's journey has come to a temporary halt.

The municipality of Koksijde has the ambition to realize a lookout point in the context of Horizon 2025 at a tourist-recreational location, being the Hoge Blekker. This vantage point should become a magnet, a “go-to-point” for anyone who loves the coast. On the one hand by being a landmark in terms of architecture and experience, and on the other by showing the surrounding nature areas to their fullest.

The 21 meter high wooden tower will become an icon and beacon for Koksijde due to its expressive shape.

Willem Vandenameele