More than a thousand years ago, our coastline consisted of mudflats and salt marshes. From the 10th century onwards, dikes, canals, and waterways ensured that the sea no longer affected parts of the land. The first area to be closed off from the sea was the so-called Oudlandpolder, which we will explore extensively today. In the bird-rich Uitkerkse Polder, we can still partly see how the landscape must have looked in the past. Along the way, we visit quiet villages, such as Houtave, where time seems to have stood still. Via Vlissegem and Klemskerke, we cycle to the coast where in Bredene we cross ’t Paelsteenveld, where the polders transition into the dunes. We follow the edge of the Dune Forests towards the center of De Haan with its beautiful villas in Anglo-Norman style.