Renovated Duinenstraat in Oostende officially opened

The area around the Church of Our Lady of the Dunes, better known as the ‘Duinenkerkje’, has been redeveloped. The refurbished Duinenstraat forms an important cycling and walking link within the ‘Groen Lint’ and the ‘Bovenlokaal Functioneel Fietsroutenetwerk’. With more than 1,000 cyclists a day, the route is a vital link for leisure users and local residents.

The redesign explicitly prioritised a greener and climate-resilient environment. In the dunes, existing hard surfaces have been removed, whilst in the polder landscape, excavations have been carried out to make more room for water and nature. As part of the Life Dunias project, invasive species such as mahogany and wrinkled rose are also being removed, allowing native plants and biodiversity to flourish further.

Attention was also paid to the experience of the landscape. A new viewing platform with a bench offers visitors a view of the Duinenkerkje and the landscape that inspired James Ensor. In addition, Daniel Spoerri’s artwork Ik, James Ensor became a temporary feature of the revitalised environment, as a reference to the Ensor Year 2024.

The redevelopment was made possible through collaboration between the City of Ostend and various partners, including the Agency for Maritime Services and the Coast (MDK), the Agency for Nature and Forests (ANB), Immovable Heritage and Westtoer. The total investment amounted to €1,786,278, made possible in part by grants from Tourism Flanders, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Province of West Flanders and the Flemish Government via the Blue Deal.

Source: Geert van de Velde and Jeffrey Roos