About Us
“We look at the Opal Coast and Flanders
through the eyes of the visitor."
“In doing so, we are guided by quality, context, and experience
— not by boundaries or completeness."
“This European region is not a map, but a story.”
Philippe Vercoutter & Kristine De Loose have been living and working in the region for decades. They know the region very well: the Opal Coast, Northern France, West Flanders, and Zeelandic Flanders.
Philippe Vercoutter received a technical and scientific education and holds both a degree in computer science and a degree in image processing engineering. Kristine also has two higher education degrees: one in accounting and taxation and one in architectural assistance. Together, they have a wealth of complementary experience and knowledge of all kinds of local and international, commercial and non-commercial tourism and hospitality projects. For example, they ran the renowned Hostellerie Kemmelberg **** hotel and restaurant together for 12 years. Philippe has been involved in photography since he was 16 and is a Google Local Guide Level 8. He is also an advanced amateur astronomer and one of the initiators and chairman of one of the six officially recognized public observatories. AstroLAB IRIS. He has led Belgian-Dutch expeditions to total solar eclipses in Finland, Mexico, Bolivia, Mongolia, China, Australia, Zambia, and elsewhere. For many years, he also ran an IT consultancy firm that mainly provided advice on database technology and e-learning (distance learning).
Kristine and Philippe are currently also leading the renovation projects for the historic buildings "Castel Mino" (1930) and "Les Heures Douces" (1910) in the historic Dumont district of De Panne.
The purpose of this website is certainly not to provide a complete list of tourist attractions. They stick to places they have visited themselves and/or are so unmissable that you simply have to visit them. These are all places they fully endorse. The beauty, originality, and quality of"the experience"are always central to them. It is a sometimes idiosyncratic tourist view of this European region with a richly filled past. This helps you as a visitor to make more informed choices about where to spend your attention and time. They avoid wasting time and create the right expectations.
They briefly describe each site or event without reinventing the wheel. Readers who want more information can request it with a single click or a few clicks from one of the dozens of reputable internet sources with which they integrate seamlessly. In any case, Philippe's original photos always give a good impression of what visitors can expect. Thanks to his original photography, visitors don't just get "a picture," but a real impression of what there is to experience — more than the static clichés you see elsewhere. Gone are the days of a single title and one (sometimes shoddy) photo, as you see on some websites, which is all you have to go on. Here, as a guide, photographer, policymaker, tourist, etc., you are not left to your own devices.
Top.Vlaanderen clearly Top.Vlaanderen out the rich variety of places and experiences in this region, with its own editorial choices and original photography — thus forming a meaningful addition for visitors and anyone who wants to get to know Flanders.
Enjoy!
Top.Vlaanderen visitors discover the region as we see it ourselves: attentively, selectively, and with respect for what is truly worthwhile.”
Good to know: Top.Vlaanderen enjoys Top.Vlaanderen with organizations, publishers, tourist services, and local initiatives that, like us, prioritize quality and experience, thereby making the lives of guides, photographers, policymakers, tourists, etc.more enjoyable by providing them with accurate and comprehensive information. You can Top.Vlaanderen contact Top.Vlaanderen via the contact form. As a partner, you could link to our information pages, use our photos, publish articles, and so on. Go for it! Working together always pays off.
360° and HR/HDR photography: Philippe Vercoutter, engineer
Philippe Vercoutter is an engineer specializing in digital image processing techniques, a professional IT specialist, and a certified professional photographer with certification number 020098404 ( beroepsfotografen.be ).
Concept, photos, videos, etc. (c) 2004-2026 Top.Vlaanderen, Belgium
Legal information: Top.Vlaanderen – KBO BE1027.273.055