Our coastline is now more or less straight, with some disruptions such as the IJzer estuary and the harbor channels of Ostend and Zeebrugge. In the past, the dunes were interrupted by flood channels that extended far inland. These channels silted up due to sediments, but heavy storms continuously created new channels.

In the 11th century, monks brought knowledge about water management and began diking marshlands into polders. Cross dikes were constructed to limit land loss in case of breaches. The name Bredene comes from the old Flemish “Breedene,” which means wide water.

Access to seaports and the drainage of rainwater required much work, both in the past and now. The boundary between salt and fresh water constantly changed, and there are still many silent witnesses of this struggle to be seen.

A walking tour through the Historical Polders of Ostend, such as the route “If the dikes break,” offers a great opportunity to discover all of this. This walk is limited to Bredene and the Ostend East Bank.