Nieuwpoort has a large, old town hall next to a large, old church near a large, old lock system. And, of course, the obligatory seaside promenade lined with Belgian high-rises from the 1960s.

The most interesting find awaits inside Our Lady’s Church. As part of the "Flemish Masters in Situ" project, Belgium has placed artworks back where they originally belonged—in churches, town halls, chapels, and castles. Here in Nieuwpoort, "The Judgment of Cambyses" by Vigor Boucquet hangs above a confessional. To truly take in its baroque drama up close, visitors can climb a mobile staircase placed right in front of it. It’s a work of art that belongs exactly where it is—not in a museum, but in its own historical context.

Nieuwpoort itself, however, feels far less cohesive. A Flemish baroque painter in an old church, a massive 17th-century lock system, modern high-rises along the coast—the town feels as if someone tossed a bit of everything into a bag and gave it a good shake. And somewhere in the middle of it all stands a golden turtle.