From octopus to octopus
You start at an octopus and finish at an octopus. Both artworks are by artist Laure Prouvost. Along the way, you pass several eye-catchers. This route takes you from De Panne to Malo-les-Bains and back.
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This walk is entirely on the beach, so it is not accessible with a standard wheelchair or pushchair.
Starting location
Starting location
Your walk starts on the beach, by the Leopold I monument.
8660 De Panne
BE
Return on foot
You can return along the beach again, or make the journey even more interesting by discovering the dune areas Dune Dewulf, Dune Marchand and Dune du Perroquet. You can see the 3 dune areas on the map, or download the separate maps:
Return by bus
Prefer to return by bus? Take the DK BUS. This free bus can be taken at the Angellier stop on Bd. de la republique Fr. Mitterand.
On your route
Touching To Sea You Through Our Extremities
On the beach at De Panne, a giant octopus appears to have washed ashore. This intriguing artwork by Laure Prouvost was placed at the tide line for Beaufort and invites you to pause at the boundary between sea, land and imagination.
Westerpunt
At the westernmost point of the Belgian coast lies the Westerpunt, an architectural viewpoint where beach, sea and dunes meet. This striking structure, opened in 2024, forms the transition between the promenade and De Westhoek nature reserve, and offers a unique view of the surroundings.
Claude London shipwreck
On the beach at Zuydcoote, near Dunkirk, rests the wreck of the British water tanker Claude London. The ship was sunk in May 1940 during Operation Dynamo. At low tide, the wreck appears again as a silent witness to a turbulent past.
Check the tide table to make sure you can see the wreck.
Tide table Zuydcoote
Bunkers van Zuydcoote
Verspreid over het strand en in de duinen van Zuydcoote liggen de indrukwekkende restanten van de Duitse kustverdediging uit de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Door de kracht van de zee zijn sommige bunkers uit de duinen losgekomen en op het strand beland, wat deze plek een bijzondere en ruwe uitstraling geeft.
Octopus Malo-les-Bains
Aan het einde van de route wacht opnieuw een octopus, dit keer op de dijk van Malo-les-Bains. Ook dit werk van Laure Prouvost speelt met het idee van grenzen en verbinding. Met haar tentakels lijkt de octopus landen, talen en werelden met elkaar te verweven — een symboliek die perfect past bij deze grensoverschrijdende wandeling.
Parking
You can easily park in Dynastielaan, which is a green long-stay parking zone.
About the artworks
Laure Prouvost is an internationally renowned artist, known for immersive installations that bring together video, sound, sculpture and language. Her work often starts from a playful or surreal perspective and explores themes such as fantasy, language and ecology. In De Panne, her artwork is part of the Beaufort Triennial, while her installation in Dunkirk forms part of the Art & Industry Triennial.