The pretty European town which puts off tourists with its ugly seaside façade

An affluent seaside resort has raised a few eyebrows among its visitors due to some of its buildings.

Knokke is a beautiful Belgian seaside town located along the North Sea which boasts a rich history, a bustling centre and notable sights. 

Among the landmarks of this area, however, a few visitors would not count Knokke’s boardwalk. 

One tourist argued the seaside façade they found so unimpressive does not reflect the reality of the buzzing and stunning town.

TripAdvisor user AaKoo67 wrote on the travel website: “Knokke is a fine resort with a very nice village and charming hinterland. The beach is great.

READ MORE: The pretty seaside town home to EU’s ‘best’ office where workers lap up views

“Excellent walking in nearby nature and fab cycling in the backcountry. The restos and shopping are high quality.

“In light of these attributes, the aesthetic and planning of the boardwalk/seaside façade really makes one wonder what leadership came up with this monstrosity?

“With Knokke’s pretensions to be an upmarket town, you would expect that the town would dynamite half of the buildings and impose a facelift on the rest.”

Another tourist with the nickname Trainbleu also seemingly criticised the aspect of one of the most important buildings on Knokke’s boardwalk.

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The visitor from Brussels wrote: “Large (and almost empty) tourist office on an ugly plaza near the seafront (‘Zeedijk’). The building may look old, but it is a recent replica of the 1872 lighthouse of Knokke, which was demolished in 1952.”

Despite the perceived ugliness of the building, the experience at the tourist centre was positive for the visitor, as he added: “The friendly staff provided us with a map and an event calendar.” 

Not all the visitors of Knokke who have left an online review on the area were left disappointed by the building and the nearby pink square.

One tourist named BJ S wrote about the area in a review on Google: “Beautiful building and beautifully landscaped square with pink fountain.”  

Knokke is the most north-eastern seaside resort on the Belgian coast and home to more than 15,000 people.

This Belgian town is very close to the border with the Netherlands, separated from the neighbouring country by the Zwin nature reserve.

The beauty of the seaside resort made Knokke famous among artists in the 19th century, with many – including Belgian expressionist James Ensor – known to have travelled to the town to paint its stunning seascapes. 

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