Blankenberge Pier and Beach Webcam, West Flanders

West Flanders is probably the last place most people planning a beach holiday have on their list – if it even makes their list at all. A quick glance at the view on this webcam though might entice some to start considering Blankenberge, the Belgian Brighton, as a holiday destination. That is until they realise those waves lapping against the six kilometres of sandy shore in this town are created by the frigid waters of the North Sea. Just thinking of stripping off and going for a swim there is likely to induce a spontaneous bout of shivering.

If this webcam was turned inland then you’d see a stretch of coastline peppered with multi-storey buildings. Think Benidorm but without the sunshine seventy-five percent of the time. That hasn’t stopped Blankenberge becoming a popular resort and it has been since the mid-18th century. One of the town’s biggest attractions is what you can see on this cam, its pier.

Blankenberge pier, also known as the Belgium Pier, is a three-hundred and fifty metre long concrete structure. Built in the early 1930s, the pier is the only one of its kind in the country. On a breezy day, while the pier may not be the ideal spot to catch some rays, other than the fishy kind, it’s the perfect spot to sit and sip a Belgian beer while nibbling your way through some moules-frites.