donderdag, mei 21, 2026

Latest:

Belgian military cemetery and Vrijbos (Houthulst, Belgium)
Oostende voor Anker (Ostend, Belgium)
Land art installation “Les ancêtres” (Dranouter, Heuvelland, Belgium)
Project Observatory - People's Observatory AstroLAB IRIS (Ypres, Belgium).
Castel Mino (De Panne, Belgium)

Top.Vlaanderen - Flemings briefly away ...

Special places & events: Opal Coast, French, West and Zeeland Flanders ... and beyond ;-)

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Science & Technology

Discover special places related to science and/or technology on the French Opal Coast, in French Flanders, Belgium, and Zeelandic Flanders.

Project Observatory - People's Observatory AstroLAB IRIS (Ypres, Belgium).

15 mei 20263762 Views Belgium, The Westhoek, Europe, Ieper (arr.), Ypres (West Flanders), R.L. Westhoek, Flemish Region, West Flanders, Zillebeke 3 min read

AstroLAB IRIS is a particularly beautiful and interesting initiative: it is both a Project Observatory and a People's Observatory located near Ypres,...

Viewpoint Science & Technology

Wind farm Mont de Ponche (Coyecques, Pas-de-Calais)

April 9, 20262544 Views Coyecques, Europe, France, Hauts-de-France, Pas-de-Calais, Pays de Saint-Omer, Saint-Omer (arr.) 1 min read

There are a total of 1,457 wind farms in France with 1,789 wind turbines for a total installed capacity of as much as 24 GW....

10-49K visitors The Space Closed New Work in progress Science & Technology

PLUS, Palace of the Universe and the Sciences (Kapelle, France)

April 3, 2026783 Views Dunkerque (arr.), Europe, France, Hauts-de-France, Chapel, Northern Department, Tourism in Dunkirk, Coastal Flanders 2 min read

is a center where science in general and the universe in particular take center stage. There are various exhibition halls....

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Event Annual July New War & Peace Water Science & Technology

EBFN Air Force Base (Koksijde, Belgium).

March 28, 20264448 Views Belgium, Belgian Coast, The Westhoek, Europe, Koksijde (West Flanders), R.L. Westhoek, Veurne (arr.), Flemish Region, West Flanders 4 min read

Every year in Koksijde, more specifically during the first weekend of July, the local military airport hosts...

Not public New Lighthouse Water Science & Technology

Cap Gris-Nez Lighthouse (Audinghen, France)

March 8, 2026653 Views Audinghen, Boulogne-sur-Mer (arr.), Europe, France, Hauts-de-France, Land of the Two Capes, Opal Coast, Pas-de-Calais 1 min read

is the lighthouse located in the middle of the Grand Site de France "Cap Gris-Nez." It stands right next to the French...

1945–1955 Reconstruction Not public New Lighthouse Water Science & Technology

Lange Nelle Lighthouse (Ostend, Belgium)

March 8, 2026681 Views Belgium, Belgian Coast, Europe, Oostende (arr.), Ostend (West Flanders), Flemish Region, West Flanders 1 min read

dates from 1949 and is 57.5 m high. That is relatively high. The staircase to the light source has 324 steps...

The Space Historic site New Science & Technology

Philippus Lansbergen Observatory (Middelburg, Netherlands)

March 7, 2026646 Views Europe, Middelburg (Zeeland), Netherlands, Walcheren, Zeeland, Southern Netherlands 2 min read

is the oldest public observatory in the Netherlands: it was founded by a group of amateur astronomers in 1967. It is located just behind the...

New Radar tower Viewpoint Observation tower Water Science & Technology

Radar tower De Lange Neel (Vrouwenpolder, Zeeland)

March 6, 2026623 Views Europe, Netherlands, Veere, Vrouwenpolder, Walcheren, Zeeland, Southern Netherlands 1 min read

is the tallest radar tower in Europe! It is no less than 127 meters high and was put into operation in 2016....

50-99K visitors Museum Ship Water Science & Technology

Port Museum (Dunkirk, France)

March 3, 20262211 Views Dunkirk, Dunkerque (arr.), Europe, France, Hauts-de-France, Northern Department, Tourism in Dunkirk, Coastal Flanders 4 min read

The Port Museum is a very nice museum about maritime life in general and the port of Dunkirk in...

New Radar tower Viewpoint Observation tower Water Science & Technology

Radar tower Ossenisse (Walsoorden, Hulst, Netherlands)

March 2, 2026793 Views Europe, Holly, Netherlands, Wall words, Zeeland, Zeeland Flanders, Southern Netherlands 2 min read

is an important, yet unmanned, radar tower that monitors and controls shipping traffic on the Western Scheldt. The...

Message pagination

War & Peace ...

1914-1918 Wereldoorlog I Oorlog & Vrede Park UNESCO Werken bezig

Belgian military cemetery and Vrijbos (Houthulst, Belgium)

21 mei 2026 3 min read

This large military cemetery with 1,722 Belgian graves from World War I is embedded in a 352-hectare forest. It...

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Event Annual July New War & Peace Water Science & Technology

EBFN Air Force Base (Koksijde, Belgium).

March 28, 2026 4 min read

1914-1918 World War I 360 degrees Historical site War & Peace Top UNESCO

Menin Gate (Ypres, Belgium)

March 16, 2026 3 min read

1914-1918 World War I 360 degrees War & Peace UNESCO

Essex Farm Cemetery (Boezinge, Ypres, Belgium)

March 16, 2026 2 min read

1914-1918 World War I 360 degrees War & Peace Park

Hill 60 (Zillebeke, Ypres, Belgium)

March 16, 2026 2 min read

1914-1918 World War I 360 degrees 50-99K visitors Museum War & Peace

Hill 62 - Sanctuary Wood (Ypres, Belgium)

March 16, 2026 3 min read

1871–1913 Belle Époque New War & Peace Water

Fort of Alprech (Le Portel, France)

March 9, 2026 3 min read

10-49K visitors 1940-1945 World War II 360 degrees Historic site Museum War & Peace

Battery Todt – Museum of the Atlantic Wall (Audinghen, France)

March 3, 2026 3 min read

1914-1918 World War I 360 degrees Trenches Museum War & Peace Park UNESCO

Vimy Ridge – Vimy Trenches (Neuville-Saint-Vaast, France)

March 3, 2026 3 min read

1940-1945 World War II Horizon 2025 War & Peace Viewpoint Observation Tower

German Observation Tower Peselhoek (Poperinge, Belgium)

February 11, 2026 2 min read

About us

Philippe Vercoutter & Kristine De Loose have been living and working in the Flanders region for decades. As such, they know the region quite well: the Opal Coast, northern France, West Flanders and Zeeland Flanders.

Philippe Vercoutter is both a computer science graduate and an engineer in image processing techniques. Kristine also has two higher educations: one as a tax accountant and the other as an assistant architect. Together they have a lot of complementary experience and knowledge in all kinds of local and international, commercial and non-commercial tourism and hospitality projects. For example, they ran together for 12 years the renowned hotel-restaurant Hostellerie Kemmelberg ****. Philippe has been involved in photography since the age of 16 and is Google Local Guide Level 8. He is also one of the initiators and president of AstroLAB IRIS. Currently they also lead, among other things, the renovation project of the castle villa "Castel Mino" in the historic Dumont neighborhood of De Panne.

The intention of this website is certainly not to give a complete list of tourist attractions. They stick to things they have visited themselves and/or are so incontournable that you simply must have visited them. These are all things they stand behind 100%. The beauty and quality of "the experience" are always the focus of their attention. So it is a, sometimes quirky, touristic view of this region with a rich past. Enjoy!

You can always contact Philippe & Kristine via our Contact form.

Copyright photos and database © 2004-2025, Philippe Vercoutter,top.vlaanderen

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