Zwin Natuur Park, Nature reserve and bird sanctuary in Knokke-Heist, Belgium.
Zwin Nature Park spreads across salt marshes, mud flats, and dunes right along the Belgian coast. The area is home to diverse wildlife and shaped by daily tidal movements that constantly reshape its habitats.
The park preserves the last remains of a medieval waterway that once connected the North Sea to the port of Bruges. This ancient trade route system still shapes the landscape and local ecosystems today.
The park is a place where visitors experience coastal life firsthand and learn how birds and plants depend on each other in this salty environment. People come to watch nature unfold and feel connected to the rhythm of tides and seasons.
The area is best explored on foot with marked paths that keep you dry while walking through marshes and dunes. Bring weather-appropriate clothing, especially for wind and moisture, since the site sits exposed to coastal conditions.
The area is a vital stopover for migrating birds that need food and rest during their long journeys between Africa and the north. Salt-tolerant plants like marsh samphire grow in thick clusters here and attract specialized insects found nowhere else but salty habitats.
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