Keiem: a polder village with character on the Yser

In the wide polders of West Flanders lies Keiem, a quiet and charming village that is part of the town of Diksmuide. With its vast fields, scars of history and close-knit community, Keiem is the very image of the authentic Flemish "flat country".

🌾 Landscape and atmosphere

Keiem breathes space and calm. The village is surrounded by a typical polder landscape where the horizon is still truly far away:

Endless horizons: a paradise for anyone who loves walking and cycling along quiet roads.

The Yser: the nearby river not only shapes the landscape, it is also a natural border and a beacon of calm.

Farming character: the rhythm of the village has always been set by the seasons and an active farming life.

🎖️ A turbulent history

Peaceful as it is today, Keiem has a stormy past. During the First World War the village lay right on the front line:

Battle of the Yser (October 1914): Keiem was a strategic bridgehead. Fierce fighting took place here to stop the German advance towards the coast. The village was almost completely destroyed, and in the 1920s it was carefully rebuilt.

📍 Highlights and sights

St Nicholas' Church (Sint-Niklaaskerk): a landmark in the flat landscape, rebuilt in a historicising style after its destruction in the Great War.
Kaasmakerij 't Dischhof: this authentic farm is known for its artisan polder cheeses, made from raw cow's milk. The perfect place to taste honest local produce, made with passion.
't Kakelend Kippenmuseum: a unique and lively attraction for young and old, where you can admire many special and purebred farmyard animals in a green, family setting.
The calm of the Westhoek: direct access to beautiful cycling and walking routes along the Yser dyke and through the surrounding broeken (low-lying meadows).
Close-knit community: behind the serene facades there is a warm community life, where neighbours still really know and meet each other.

In short: Keiem is not a place of hurry and bustle. It is a polder village with character, where the wind has free rein, history remains tangible and the good life goes on at its own pace.