Zwin Nature Park

The Zwin was the tidal channel that carried seagoing ships to Bruges through the medieval period, and its silting up ended the city's trade; what remains is a stretch of salt marsh, mudflat, dune and creek at the Dutch border, protected since 1952 and now managed as a nature park with a visitor centre opened in 2016. The marsh floods on the highest tides and holds sea lavender, glasswort and other salt-tolerant plants, and it is important for birds: spoonbills, avocets, terns, waders on passage and geese in winter, with a bird ringing operation and hides. The visitor centre uses a system of tagged bird recognition and has a good exhibition on migration. Storks nest in the park and are a fixture.

What you actually see

• Salt marsh and creeks - the last of the medieval tidal channel.
• Spoonbills and avocets - the birds the reserve is known for.
• Nesting storks - the resident colony in the park.
• The 2016 visitor centre - an exhibition on migration and the ringing work.

When to go

April to June for breeding birds and September to November for passage and geese. Half a day. Spring tides flood the marsh, which changes access. The centre closes on some Mondays in winter.

Honest expectations

The marsh floods and parts of the route close at high spring tides. It is exposed with no shelter and the wind off the sea is constant. The visitor centre is aimed partly at families. Birding needs binoculars and patience.

Nearby

Knokke-Heist is west; the Dutch border runs through the marsh.