Blankenberge was once a fashionable beach town where rich Belgians built flamboyant Art Nouveau houses. Many have been torn down, but you can still find some hidden joys lurking among the apartment buildings.
Clustered around the Sint Rochuskerk, several romantic town houses are decorated with ironwork, balconies and tiled loggias.
You can spend the night in one of these nostalgic houses.
The Villa d’Hondt is located in a handsome 1904 Art Nouveau house just five minutes from the beach. The downstairs rooms have intriguing frescos painted on linen, along with antique furniture and stained glass windows.
The friendly owner provides a very good breakfast to start the day.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
