Hidden Belgium: Kijkhut De Zeehond

Hidden Belgium: Kijkhut De Zeehond

It’s hard to escape the crowds at the Belgian coast. But the Zeehond birdwatching hide is as lonely as it gets.

The wooden hide was built in 2007 in the IJzermonding nature reserve near the estuary of the IJzer. It stands on the site of an abandoned marine base near the town of Nieuwpoort.

The kijkhut is furnished with benches where you sit in the dark watching rare birds gather along the muddy tidal riverbank. Sometimes you hear nothing but the screeching of gulls and the click of camera shutters.

You might even spot a few seals lazing on the banks in the winter. A sign warns you not to approach as they will attack if they feel threatened.

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.


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