- Knokke
Knokke is one of a group of communities that are all grouped in the administrative community
Knokke-Heist , in the province ofWest Flanders inFlanders ,Belgium . Knokke itself has 15.653 inhabitants (2003).
Knokke is the most North-Easternseaside resort of the Flemish coast. It lies close to the Dutch border and is separated from the Dutch territory byZwin , a beautiful and extremely interesting natural reserve.It is famous for its beaches, and for the dike system to which it owes its origins. Knokke came into existence because of the construction of dikes that were meant to protect the area around the 'Zwin' sea-arm. Originally a simple vacation haven for the humble city folk of
Brussels , in the early 1800s a lot of painters, such asJames Ensor ,Alfred Verwee and others, started to frequent the small hamlet to paint its beautiful vistas. The artists rented a small miller's cottage and founded there the "Cercle des Artistes" in 1880. It gradually became a resort town with upscale clientele, restaurants and shops.Knokke also has one of Belgium's ten casinos. In this casino you can find wall paintings of
Keith Haring ,Rene Magritte andPaul Delvaux . In the Kroonluchterzaal (Dutch for Chandelier room) you will see a huge chandelier of 6 tons made of Venetian crystal. The chandelier has a diameter of 8.5 m and is 6.5 m high. Some 22,000 pieces of glass were used and 2,700 lamps light up the main hall. It was designed by Architect J. Selis and designer Al. David."See also:"
West Flanders External links
* [http://www.maritim-immo.be/ Real Estate in Knokke] - Directory of properties for sale in Knokke
* [http://www.guesthouses.be/knokke Bed and Breakfast in Knokke] - Directory of Bed and breakfast and charming hotels in Knokke
* [http://www.cityreview.be/west_vlaanderen/knokke/ Knokke @ City Review]
* [http://www.knokke-heist.be/ Official site of the city Knokke-Heist] - Official website of the city Knokke-Heist
* [http://www.knokke.be/ Knokke.be] - City portal that offers a free e-mail service to residents and tourists
* [http://hotel.eu.com/?showcity=Knokke All hotels in Knokke] - Directory of all hotels in Knokke
* [http://www.muliermuliergallery.com Mulier Mulier Gallery, Contemporary Art]
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