- Knokke-Heist
Infobox Belgium Municipality
name=Knokke-Heist
picture=
picture-
map-West Flanders
arms=Knokke.jpg
region=BE-REG-FLE
community=BE-NL
province=BE-PROV-WV
arrondissement=Bruges
nis=31043
pyramid-date=01/01/2006
0-19=16.81
20-64=56.76
65=26.42
foreigners=4.02
foreigners-date=01/07/2005
mayor=Count Leopold Lippens
majority=Gemeentebelangen
postal-codes=8300, 8301
telephone-area=050
web= [http://www.knokke-heist.be/ www.knokke-heist.be]
lat_deg=51
lat_min=20
lon_deg=03
lon_min=17Knokke-Heist is a municipality located in the Belgian province of
West Flanders . The municipality comprises the towns ofHeist-aan-Zee ,Knokke ,Duinbergen ,Ramskapelle and Westkapelle. OnJanuary 1 2006 Knokke-Heist had a total population of 34,063. The total area is 56.44 km² which gives apopulation density of 603 inhabitants per km². Knokke-Heist is located in apolder s area on the Belgian border with theNetherlands . It is one of Belgium’s better known and more affluentseaside resort s.History
Middle Ages
Originally, the marshy
Zwin area was mostly settled by shepherds and fishermen. With the encouragement of theCounts of Flanders , several dikes were built between the 11th and the13th century and the land successfully dewatered, giving rise to agriculture and further sheep breeding. New parishes were founded and the early settlement of Sint-Anna-ter-Muiden, later made part of Westkapelle, obtained city rights in 1242.The strategic importance of the Zwin harbour came to light in
1301 , during the war between CountGuy of Dampierre and the French King Philip the Fair. During theHundred Years' War that followed shortly after, several battles were fought between France and England for supremacy of the area, most famously theBattle of Sluys in June1340 . The local population tried to remain neutral as it was politically tied to Flanders, then allied to France, but economically dependent on wool from England. UnderPhilip the Bold ’s leadership, it took advantage of the relative peace of the end of the century to fortify the canal linking the Zwin to the port ofBruges .15th to 17th century
The beginning of the
15th century witnessed several renewed English attacks on neighboringSluis , with devastating effects on the local economy, until a lasting peace was signed in 1439. The end of the century was marked by internal rebellions against Maximilian of Austria and strategic flooding of thepolder s. The reign of Charles V in the following century saw peace coming back to the region. This was also the time when the Zwin started silting and when appleorchard s were planted to supplement the local economy.The
Wars of Religion of the late 1500’s brought renewed floods and devastation, but the economy managed to come back to life after thePeace of Westphalia with the cultivation ofrapeseed andpotato es. The strength of this agricultural rebirth and of the cattle trade allowed the local farmers to weather future economic crises relatively well.18th century until today
Following the
Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, the territory of Knokke was annexed to theNetherlands , but the old border was reestablished at the Zwin a few years later. After theBattle of Fleurus (1794) , Bruges, Knokke and the neighboring municipalities were included in the department of the Lys. The construction of theLeopold Canal in 1857 made the closing of the Zwin and its transformation in a natural reservation possible. The development of Knokke and Heist as tourist destinations followed soon after. The population of Knokke doubled between 1873 and 1914 to 3,326 inhabitants, then again from 1914 to 1930 and again to reach more than 14,000 in 1965 despite the heavy setbacks brought byWorld War II .ights
*Knokke is famous for its long sandy beaches and seaside promenade lined with cafés and restaurants. The area known as "Het Zoute" ("Le Zoute" in French) includes the exclusive Royal Zoute Golf Club, located in the dunes, and an impressive collection of summer villas and mansions.
*Knokke is home to theZwin , a 158 ha coastalnature reserve . This large salt-water marsh area is also a protected bird sanctuary.
*The Sincfala museum, located in Heist, documents the regional history and way of life.
*Abutterfly garden ("Vlindertuin ") was established near "Moeder Siska", acoffeehouse made famous for its clover-shapedwaffle s, the recipe of which dates from 1892.Events and sports
*Knokke-Heist is home to more than 40 art galleries.
*The "Kneistival", a free and week-long music festival, has taken place every July since 1986.Famous inhabitants
*
Günther Vanaudenaerde , defense football player (b. 1984)ee also
*
Zwin
*Belgian Coast Tram External links
* [http://www.knokke-heist.be Official website] - Information available in Dutch, French, English and German
* [http://www.sincfala.be Sincfala museum] - Information on local history and on the Zwin area, available in Dutch only
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