Oostkerke

On this place, one of the first church communities of the region was founded.  Other settlements (such as Damme, Moerkerke, Westkapelle, Lapscheure,...) fell in their early days under authority of the church of Oostkerke. 

According to the legend, the village has to thank its existence to Saint Guthago.   He had Scottisch (or Irish) royal blood and lived in the 7th (or, according to other sources in the 9th) century.  He preferred to live in the Flanders as a pilgrim and was burried in Oostkerke.  A chapel was erected after miracles took place at his grave.  In 1159, the rests of his body were place in a shrine by the bishop of Tournai.

The tower of the church possibly served as lighthouse for the sailors.  On the cemetary itself there still should be some graves out of the 14th and 15th century.  Just like most other villages in the polders, Oostkerke was also hit by floods.  Not only nature, but also man has provided for its fair share of destruction and grief.  Geuzen (protestant religious fighters) and foreign armies plundered, claimed food and life-stock, pierced dikes, etc...  The last destruction on grand scale took place at the end of the 2nd World War.  Heavy firing and the inundation of the area caused a lot of casualties.  The piece de resistance (ironically speaking of course) was undoubtedly the blowing up of the churchtower by retreating German soldiers.  2500 kg of dynamite made the tower collapse and destroyed almost the entire building.  After the war, the church was rebuilt in its previous state.

No polder village without a harbour.  Oostkerke also had his own port, named Monnikenrede.  Don't look for it, this harbour has in the meanwhile dissapeared under the ground (and under the Damse Vaart).  Thank you, Napoleon...

At a stone's throw from the church lies the castle of Oostkerke en just outside the center of the village there are still 2 windmills.  The Krinkeldijk (direction of Hoeke) is one of Flanders' finest cycling- and walkingroads, meandering through a beautiful polderlandscape from Hoeke to Oostkerke.   The Damse Vaart, the Leopoldcanal and the Schipdonkcanal are close to the village.   A cycling route alongside the canals gives you the opportunity to enjoy in an active way  the beauty of these streams to their full extend.

In 1974, Oostkerke was elected "the most beautiful village of West Flanders".  A prize it certainly deserved.  The non-believers we willingly invite to come and see; it won't require much words to convince them...  

Worth seeing: church, castle, 2 mills, village center with characteristic white-painted houses.

to: map with general overview / map of Oostkerke 
overview