Blankenberghe

Blankenberge
Municipality
Blankenberge beach on a hot summer day
Flag Coat of arms
Blankenberge Location in Belgium Location of Blankenberge in West Flanders
Coordinates: 51°18′N 03°07′E / 51.300°N 3.117°E / 51.300; 3.117Coordinates: 51°18′N 03°07′E / 51.300°N 3.117°E / 51.300; 3.117
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	West Flanders
Arrondissement	Bruges
Government
• Mayor	Ivan De Clerck () (Open VLD)
• Governing party/ies	Open VLD, sp.a, N-VA
Area
• Total	17.41 km2 (6.72 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2017)
• Total	20,265
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,000/sq mi)
Postal codes	8370
Area codes	050
Website	www.blankenberge.be

Blankenberge ([ˈblɑŋkə(m)bɛrɣə]; West Flemish: Blanknberge) is a town and a municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Blankenberge proper and the settlement of Uitkerke.

On 1 December 2014, Blankenberge had a total population of 19,897. The total area of the municipality is 17.41 km², giving a population density of 1,142 inhabitants per km².

Like most other Flemish coastal towns, a main characteristic of this one is that it is a national and to a certain extent international seaside resort, as even Germans have found their way to the place.

Apart from the sandy beach, there's a structure unique along the Belgian coast: a 350-m long art-deco pier, the Belgium Pier, constructed in 1933.

Blankenberge has schools from both school networks in Belgium. The two secondary schools are:

Both schools have numeral different elementary schools organized by the same instances.

Blankenberge railway station was opened in 1863. Trains operated by NMBS run towards Brussels, and the Kusttram run by De Lijn runs along the Belgian coast of the North Sea.

Before the First World Ware, Blankenberge was an exclusive holiday resort frequently attended by Royalty. HIRH Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife HH Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg as well as his sister HIRH Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria and her husband HSH Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein and his niece HIRH Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria were regular holiday makers in Blankenberge. The Archduke enjoyed his walks to Wenduine and daily attended service at the St Rochus church. The Archduke and his wife were planning to travel again to Blankenberge after their last official engagement before the summer holiday at Sarajevo in 2014 where they were killed. The tenor Enrico Caruso attended Blankenberge for a performance in 2010. After the First World War the Blankenberge police station was bombed by an unknown perpetrator. The blast killed 2 officers and wounded 2 others. After the Second World Ware it became a popular holiday destination.