Zwin walking route (shortened)

Jaguar, Yourcenar and the beautiful Zwin Marsh

Have you seen enough swirling leaves? Then go swirl by the sea yourself. The indescribable gray-blue of the water and the red autumn hues of the Zwin are stunning. In the paid section of the Zwin, take the blue loop (by the green pocket, it's often knee-deep around this time) and enjoy the birds and certainly in the morning, the absolute silence. Or make a large (free) loop around it. For the Zwin walking route (I take the shortened version), you start at the Oosthoekplein in Knokke. There are some cafes, like Hof Van Vlaanderen, where the fish fryers are present every Friday in summer. And at the excellent bakery De Baere, the Knokkers almost park their Jaguar in the showcase. From there, you walk through the dunes and polders to the seawall and then along the Yourcenar path and the Zen path towards the Zwin Marsh; those paths are named after Yourcenar's novel 'The Hermetic Black' and the main character Zeno, which partly takes place in the Zwin.

In two hours, you will walk along dunes, paths, grazing cattle, birds that chose the Zwin as a winter residence, and towards a magnificent view over the Zwin Marsh. You can warm up along the way in the Bistro-shelter, not the coziest place on earth, but there's plenty of space, they are particularly friendly, there is free water for the dog, and the view is wonderfully beautiful.

Start: Oosthoekplein, Knokke

9.2 km (or the long route, 13.3 km)