KNOKKE'S NEW CHIC

Knokke is known for its glorious past, and nothing seems to stand in the way of a glorious future for the fashionable seaside resort – which thrives on luxury, with a high density of brand shops, top restaurants and a golf course between the red tiled roofs.

Text: Ivo Weyel | Online editor: Natasha Hendriks
Image: Herman van Heusden

Knocke with ck

Knokke used to be chic. At that time it was still called Knocke, with ck, and Sur Mer behind it. That was in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Now it is called Knokke, with double k and without Sur Mer, and it is especially expensive. Two mouth-watering shrimp croquettes cost 24 euros at Rubens. The Rolex will be worn in pink this year. The bag à la mode is (on repeat) the Kelly from Hermès. For men, a cashmere sweater in a pastel shade from Éric Bompard is a must; it is hung loosely over the shoulder, the sleeves closed at the front with a Knokke button. The belt (his/hers) is without exception from Hermès. No wonder there is always a queue in front of the Hermès store on Kustlaan (the shopping mecca), where only five people are allowed in at a time due to corona. The hand pump with disinfectant for the door is packed in a suede orange Hermès pouch.

Frigobox tourists

Knokke has a glorious past. It was the chicest seaside resort on the North Sea coast, where the nobility mixed with the biggest celebrities of those years, who performed in the then world-famous Casino, a true art palace à la mode. Marlene Dietrich, Ella Fitzgerald, Charles Aznavour, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, you name it. The stately villas and apartment buildings along the sea boulevard had names such as Au Grand Chic, Bellevue, Eden Roc, Beausite, Monte-Carlo, Villa la Rève and Beau Lac. There was not a word of Flemish at the time. The elegant La Réserve hotel, once the hotel on site where everyone who was anyone stayed, has been demolished to make way for a colossus of a conference hotel with luxurious apartments.

Château allure

Anyone who has their eye on a house, preferably detached, will not get anywhere for that amount. Knokke villas are notoriously expensive. And almost without exception white (and white means snow white, because a little peeling paint indicates overdue maintenance, which in turn translates into no money for the painter, and no one wants to be accused of that here), with a red tiled roof . This is mandatory, especially in Le Zoute (pronounced 'le sweet'), the most exclusive neighborhood. It was once established by decree to keep the cityscape monotonous and Mayor Lippens still personally enforces this with a firm hand; exceptions will not be tolerated.

Operation Switchback

In all the opulent luxury of Knokke it is good to sober up for a moment. After all, the past was not all about glamor and partying crowned heads. During the Second World War, one of the bloodiest battles in Belgian history took place here: the liberation of West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and Northwest Flanders, known as Operation Switchback. In the For Freedom Museum, which is certainly worth a visit, battle sets have been recreated with accompanying loud bombs and machine gun fire, the lifelike dolls dressed in original uniforms that are riddled with bullet holes and other traces of war violence, gruesome and touching (because of the almost childish simulations) at the same time.