The West Flanders Tourism Office, Westtoer, has launched a new cycling experience this summer called ‘Expeditie Testerep’, which tells the story of a vanished island between Ostend and Nieuwpoort.
Testerep was once an island off the Belgian coast, but it disappeared due to land reclamation and storm surges. Scientific research, including studies by the VUB, VLIZ, KU Leuven universities, and Howest, has helped bring this history to life through the cycling route and a travelling exhibition.
The 42.8-kilometre-long route connects the coastal area and its hinterland via a refreshed network of waypoints. Visitors can explore the remnants of the former Testerep Island using a free map, a digital app, and interactive elements that bring the story to life at ten specific locations along the way.
The initiative is part of a broader Testerep Project mounted by the Province of West Flanders, with contributions from the Heritage Service, Coastal Region Affairs, Atlantikwall Raversyde, and Westtoer.
In addition to the cycling route, there is also a travelling exhibition, ‘Between Land and Sea’, hosted in the church of Wilskerke, near Middelkerke. From 5 September, the exhibition will move to the Atlantikwall Raversyde provincial domain.
“With Expeditie Testerep and other activities in the project, we are making an important part of history accessible and tangible for a wide audience,” says parliamentarian Jurgen Vanlerberghe, chair of Westtoer.
“At the same time, we’re connecting this to the hinterland and showing how the past can inspire us in managing our coastline today and in the future,” Vanlerberghe adds.
