An elegant train station building with brown tones and a red roof as a modern tram passes by. A green garden gate opens to a charming two-story house with a red gabled roof and elegant half-timbered details.
Belgium

De Haan: Belle Époque by the Sea

A Classic Belle Époque Home in De Haan
 De Haan, Belgium, August 2022

De Haan looks different from most towns along the Belgian coast. While elsewhere, grey high-rises dominate the seafront, here you’ll find villas with bay windows, turrets, and curved gables—a postcard-perfect idyll straight out of the Belle Époque. A few modern buildings have crept in, but the town’s nostalgic charm remains intact.

Even the station building from 1902 fits the scene perfectly. This is one of the stops along the Coastal Tram, which connects all the towns along Belgium’s shore. Have I mentioned it yet? Opened in 1886, it’s the longest tram line in the world—67 kilometers, 67 stops, and a schedule so frequent that you never have to wait long. It runs from Knokke in the north to De Panne in the south, tracing the coastline with views of dunes, sea, and old seaside resorts. Unlike most urban trams, this one isn’t just public transport—it’s part of the journey, a moving panorama of Belgium’s coast.

Over the decades, countless visitors have arrived in De Haan this way. One of them stood out more than most Albert Einstein. In spring 1933, he stepped off the tram with 17 suitcases full of books, seeking refuge from the political upheaval in Germany. He stayed for a few months on Shakespearelaan before leaving Belgium for good. A brief episode, but one the town takes great pride in.

De Haan has held on to its charm. It’s not a seaside resort for grand spectacles, but rather a place for quiet walks—where architectural romance meets the fresh sea breeze.

Map of De Haan
An elegant train station building with brown tones and a red roof as a modern tram passes by.
The historic tram station, with its Belle Époque charm, remains a key stop along the Belgian Coast Tram route. A modern tram rushes past, linking past and present.
A green garden gate opens to a charming two-story house with a red gabled roof and elegant half-timbered details.
A Belle Époque villa in De Haan: This historic home, with its half-timbered façade and manicured garden, embodies the refined seaside architecture of the early 20th century.
A large, bright house with a red gabled roof, surrounded by green bushes and trees in front of a paved walkway.
A large, stylish villa with pointed roofs, light walls, and a paved path, surrounded by bushes and trees.
A white house with red roof tiles, brown window frames, and a tree growing right in front of the facade.
A two-story classic house with a red gable roof, white walls, green shutters, and a black wooden picket fence.
White house with red tiled roofs, surrounded by trees, enclosed by a white fence and a paved driveway.
A bright, multi-story house with a stone column and large windows, surrounded by dry grass and bushes.
A multi-story house with a red tiled roof and white facade, surrounded by trees and a garden fence.
A bright two-story house with a red gabled roof, white walls, and a enclosed garden fence.
A stylish, multi-story house with a distinctive tower, surrounded by green bushes and a patterned wooden gate.
An elegant, historic building with a light facade and bay windows, surrounded by trees and flower boxes.
A bronze sculpture of a seated figure, surrounded by trees and a building in the background.
Albert Einstein in De Haan: This statue commemorates the physicist’s stay in the Belgian coastal town in 1933, where he found refuge before emigrating to the United States.
An elegant building with a red roof, balconies, and a curved facade, surrounded by trees and parked cars.
Grand Hotel Belle Vue: This landmark Belle Époque hotel, with its distinctive turrets and half-timbered façade, has been a symbol of seaside elegance since the early 20th century.
A beach promenade with buildings on the left side, blue sky, and an expansive beach on the right.
Multi-story buildings in light colors line the coastal promenade, with trees, lampposts, and a gravel path in the foreground.
An ice cream stall with a bright, inviting kiosk by the beach, surrounded by sandy areas and a clear sky.