The Story of the Oude Ooststraat

Dear visitor,

Welcome to one of the oldest houses in Veurne – a place steeped in history and stories. We invite you to travel back in time with us, to the origins of this remarkable location.

Long ago, in the early Middle Ages, a fortress was built in Veurne as a refuge from the threat of Norse invaders. This stronghold was cleverly designed: four city gates connected by roads that spread in all directions. Two of these – the eastern and southern roads – became crucial to the city’s expansion in the 11th and 12th centuries.

The street we now call the “Oude Ooststraat” was, at the time, the lifeline of Veurne. This central axis was lined with the city’s very first houses. The area where today’s Ooststraat lies was then still empty — the Oude Ooststraat was the true center.

But times change. In the thriving 13th century, Veurne grew into an important administrative and economic hub. The cityscape shifted, and the Grote Markt (Main Square) gained prominence. The city’s main axis began to move from east–west to north–south, and it was likely during this period that the current Ooststraat was constructed. The old street began to fade into the background.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the city transformed significantly. New homes were built, building plots became scarce, and narrow alleys disappeared. The Oude Ooststraat, by then poetically known as “Engelenstraatje” (Little Angels’ Street), became narrower and narrower. Eventually, it remained only as a fire lane – a passage just wide enough for a man carrying two buckets of water. Firefighters even received a key to ensure access in case of emergency.

In 1621, Jan Van de Torre, then-owner of this building, was granted permission to build over the alley and close it off with a gate. The only condition? That the fire brigade could still pass through in times of need.

Around the mid-19th century, even the fire lane disappeared. Joseph De Busschere incorporated the passage into his home, and what was once Veurne’s main street was all but forgotten. Almost… because during the restoration of this brasserie, the old street – miraculously – came back to light.

Today, it has been beautifully integrated into the building as a silent but proud witness of what was once the beating heart of a blossoming Veurne.