Lo-Reninge

Lo-Reninge: a Westhoek village that time forgot

Lo is small. So small you could almost drive straight past it. But if you stop and walk around, you find one of the best-preserved historic village centers in the Flemish Westhoek. The medieval Westpoort still stands right in the middle of the village, as if nothing has ever changed. For street and landscape photography, that is a rare combination.

The Westpoort as anchor

The Westpoort of Lo is the most photogenic element of the village. The gate dates from the fourteenth century and remains almost entirely intact. What makes it interesting: traffic still passes underneath it. That gives you the chance to look for tension between the ancient and the everyday. With a slightly longer focal length, from 85mm upwards, you can isolate the gate from its surroundings and introduce compression into the frame. Early in the morning it is quiet enough to work without passing cars, if that is what you want.

Light and season

Lo-Reninge lies in the flat polder landscape to the southwest of Diksmuide. That means big skies and few obstacles for the light. In fall and winter, low mist regularly hangs over the meadows, which transforms the landscape around the village considerably. Summer golden-hour light falls long and at a low angle, drawing out the textures of the facades on the Markt. The cloud cover in the Westhoek is unpredictable enough to offer interesting skies throughout the year.

The village and surroundings

The Markt of Lo is compact. A few steps and you have seen it, but details draw you in: old facades, a pump, the church. Outside the village lie the polders of the IJzer valley. Along the IJzer itself and the surrounding dikes, you find open landscape lines with meadows, rows of poplars and the occasional farm. A wide angle of 24mm or 28mm works well here to let the space do the talking.

Practical

Parking is available on or just off the Markt, and the village is quiet enough that you will rarely have a problem finding a spot. Lo-Reninge falls under the municipality of Lo-Reninge. There are no permit requirements for photography in public spaces. Weekends are slightly busier than weekdays, but busy is relative here. The village does attract tourists, just rarely in large numbers at once.

Sources and further reading

• Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed – Westpoort Lo
• Gemeente Lo-Reninge
• Onroerend Erfgoed Vlaanderen