The Belgian coast — 67 kilometres of North Sea shoreline — ranges from the social elegance of Knokke-le-Zoute to the architectural grandeur of Ostend. FFGR Belgium programmes the complete coast with appropriate vehicles for the summer season.
Belgium's coastline is 67 kilometres long — the shortest national North Sea coastline in Europe — and every metre of it is developed. But within that compact geography exists a surprisingly sophisticated spectrum of character: Knokke-le-Zoute at the northern end, at the Dutch border, is Belgium's answer to Palm Beach — conservative, wealthy, discreet, with galleries, the Casino du Zoute, and the casino gardens; Ostend, 30 kilometres south, is a Victorian resort that has maintained its architectural grandeur (the Thermae Palace, the Kursaal, the Royal Galleries) while developing a serious contemporary art scene; and De Panne at the southern end, near the French border, retains the wild dune character that the rest of the coast has long since paved.
FFGR Belgium's coastal programme operates differently from the urban programmes. The preferred vehicle for the coast in summer is the Rolls-Royce Dawn — the convertible — which converts the E40 motorway approach and the Albert I Promenade at Ostend into genuinely distinctive experiences. The 22-second roof mechanism and the cabin's sound character at open-road speed on a clear day represent a category of driving experience that the saloon vehicles cannot replicate.
The standard Knokke-le-Zoute programme includes: arrival at the Casino du Zoute (which houses one of the most important contemporary art collections in Belgium, including Magritte, Ensor, and Lichtenstein works permanently displayed in the casino halls), a private viewing at one of the Knokke galleries (Ronny Van de Velde, Oscar De Vos, or Art & Antiques depending on the client's collecting interest), lunch at Bartholomeus or La Réserve Knokke, and an afternoon on the coast road.
For Ostend, FFGR Belgium programmes the Thermae Palace hotel as the base for a longer stay — the art deco building is one of the finest buildings on the Belgian coast — with the Mu.ZEE museum (collection including Constant Permeke and James Ensor), the Marchal restaurant on the Visserskaai, and the Hippodrome d'Ostende for August race meetings.