Editing Damme

{{Short description|Municipality in Flemish Community, Belgium}}
{{Other}}
{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name             = Damme
|type             = city
|picture          = 0 Damme - Stadhuis (1).JPG
|picture-legend   = Damme Town Hall
|map              = Damme West-Flanders Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Location of Damme in [[West Flanders]]
|arms             = Blason Damme.svg
|flag             = Damme vlag.svg
|region           = {{BE-REG-FLE}}
|community        = {{BE-NL}}
|province         = {{BE-PROV-WV}}
|arrondissement   = [[Arrondissement of Bruges|Bruges]]
|nis              = 31006
|pyramid-date     = 01/01/2006
|0-19=22.89
|20-64=58.70
|65=18.41
|foreigners=1.47
|foreigners-date  = 01/07/2005
|mayor            = [[Joachim Coens]] ([[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]])
|majority         = [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]]
|postal-codes     = 8340
|telephone-area   = 050
|web              = [http://www.damme.be/ www.damme.be]
|coordinates      = {{coord|51|15|N|03|16|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}
'''Damme''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈdɑmə|-|Nl-Damme.ogg}}) is a [[Municipalities of Belgium|municipality]] and [[City status in Belgium|city]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wet tot toekenning van de titel van stad aan de gemeenten Beringen, Bilzen, Blankenberge, Borgloon, Ciney, Couvin, Damme, Geel, Genepiën, Gistel, Halen, Hamont-Achel, Hannuit, Harelbeke, Herk-de-Stad, Lo-Reninge, Mesen, Oudenburg, Peer, Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Vilvoorde en Walcourt |url=https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/wet/1985/07/19/1985001298/staatsblad |date=19 July 1985 |lang=nl |website=www.ejustice.just.fgov.be |publisher=[[Belgian Official Gazette]] |access-date=22 April 2025}}</ref> located in the [[Belgium|Belgian]] province of [[West Flanders]], six kilometres northeast of Brugge ([[Bruges]]). The municipality comprises the city of Damme proper and the villages of [[Hoeke]], [[Lapscheure]], [[Moerkerke]], [[Oostkerke (Damme)|Oostkerke]], [[Sijsele]], {{Interlanguage link multi|Vivenkapelle|nl}}, and {{Interlanguage link multi|Sint-Rita|nl}}. On 1 January 2006, the municipality had a population of 10,899. The total area is 89.52&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, giving a [[population density]] of 122 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>.

==History==
In the 13th century, Damme was one of the major ports of Europe and the outlet to the sea for the major trading city of Bruges, to which it was linked by the river Reie. The river has now been [[Ship canal|canalised]] into the long, straight, treelined and picturesque Damse Vaart, which continues across the Dutch border to [[Sluis]]. The line of the town's star-shaped fortifications can still be traced by lines of tall poplar trees and in places by a moat. It was the site of the [[Battle of Damme]], fought on 30 and 31 May 1213, when an English fleet under the Earl of Salisbury captured scores of French ships and their cargo of gold, silver, wine, bacon and other victuals.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911b|p=789}}

Well-known Damme inhabitants include [[Jacob van Maerlant]], a medieval poet and the town clerk of Damme until his death in around 1300, and [[Karel Verleye]], co-founder of the [[Bruges]] [[College of Europe]], who died in Damme in 2002.
According to Charles de Coster (Charles-Theodore-Henri De Coster. La legende et les aventures heroiques, joyeuses et glorieuses d’Ulenspiegel et de Lamme Goedzak au pays de Flandres et ailleurs), Damme is the birthplace of [[Till Eulenspiegel]].

== Tourism ==

Today, Damme is a popular side trip for tourists who are visiting Bruges and is a popular venue for eating out, and a destination for boat trips. Damme has more recently become known as a [[book town]], with numerous bookshops and regular book fairs.

The most popular ways of traveling to Damme are by canal boat that runs during the summer high season or all year round by bus or bicycle. The bicycle route is along the canal path taking the same route that the canal boat takes.

==Maps==
<gallery>
File:Damme, Belgium ; Deventer map.jpg|Damme on the [[Deventer map]] (around 1558)
File:Damme - Dammvm (Atlas van Loon).jpg|Damme on the [[Atlas van Loon]] (around 1649)
File:Damme, Belgium ; Ferraris Map.jpg|Damme on the [[Ferraris map]] (around 1775)
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite EB1911|last=Chisholm|first=Hugh|wstitle=Damme|date=1911b|volume=7|page=789}} {{OCLC|221022251}} 

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline}}
*{{Official website|http://www.damme.be}}

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Damme
|N  = [[Knokke-Heist]]
|NE = [[Sluis]] ([[Netherlands|NL]]-[[Zeeland|ZE]])
|E  = [[Maldegem]] ([[East Flanders|VOV]])
|S  = [[Beernem]]
|W  = [[Bruges]]
}}
{{Hanseatic League}}
{{Municipalities in West Flanders}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Damme| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of West Flanders]]