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Garnaalvissers te paard - demonstraties

Live demonstrations of the UNESCO-listed horseback shrimp fishers, kicking off Easter Monday and running through the season.

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Marketing angleinferred

Leverage UNESCO-listed horseback shrimp fishing demonstrations as an authentic cultural tourism experience and seasonal attraction to drive visitor engagement and local hospitality bookings.

Relevance 45medium intent
  • Behind-the-scenes footage of UNESCO heritage fishing traditions
  • Easter Monday seasonal tourism campaign highlighting unique Belgian coastal experiences
  • Local guide partnerships and experiential travel packages
  • Social media storytelling around centuries-old fishing heritage and craftsmanship
Programme

Garnaalvissen te paard (shrimp fishing on horseback) is a centuries-old craft using Belgian Brabant draft horses, a tradition closely tied to nature and dependent on the tides. Since 2013, this practice in Oostduinkerke is listed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The fishermen go out to sea year-round except in cold winter months, and provide demonstration sessions during holiday periods (April–October) to showcase their skills. During summer months, the shrimp fishers demonstrate their craft on the beach at Oostduinkerke almost every day, drawing thousands of visitors annually.

April–October 2026

Regular demonstration sessions, April–September at various beach locations. Daily demonstrations typically July–August at Astridplein.

Wednesday 30 September 2026

09:30–10:15 demonstration at Strand Astridplein, Oostduinkerke.

Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 June 2026

75th Garnaalfeesten (Shrimp Festival). Saturday: Mieke Garnaal coronation (11:00 at Fabiolaplein), Belgian Peeling Championship, children's shrimp fishing (18:00). Sunday: Traditional sea blessing (09:30), parade, performances by Oud-Ijslandvaarders and Juttertjes.

  • Fishermen and horses spend approximately 20 minutes in the sea, dragging nets across the seabed to catch shrimp.
  • Demonstrations last 45 minutes.
  • Sturdy Belgian draft horses ride into shallow North Sea waters to catch brown shrimp using large, funnel-shaped nets.
  • A 'horse parade' allows children and visitors to get closer for a meet-and-greet with the horses and their owners.
  • Not all demonstrations include freshly cooked shrimp—check the calendar for dates when shrimp cooking is offered.
  • Visitors can see the fishermen at work on Oostduinkerke beach from April through October.