Overview
De Haan is a coastal municipality in northern Belgium. It’s known for its long beach and restaurant-dotted promenade.
Description
The streets of the Concessie district are lined with belle epoque buildings, such as the grand town hall, housed in a former luxury hotel. Nearby, Villa Savoyarde was home to Albert Einstein for several months in 1933. On the outskirts of town are expansive sand dunes crossed by paths. Prim and proper De Haan (Le Coq) is Belgium’s most compact and engaging beach resort. Its most famous visitor, Albert Einstein, lived here for a few months after fleeing Hitler’s Germany in 1933. Several fanciful half-timbered hotels and a scattering of tasteful eateries, bakeries and shops form an appealing knot around a cottage-style former tram station, from where Leopoldlaan leads 600m north to the beach passing De Haan's distinctive circular park.