Hof der dingen - Signage of Camping Cosmos: A piece of cultural heritage

Noticed these giant letters as you walked into the room? We’ve borrowed them from photographer Stefan Vanfleteren, who had them set up in garden. But once upon a time, they proudly stood at the entrance of what may have been Flanders’ most legendary campsite. 

In the 1950x, Camping Cosmos was a flourishing campsite on the Belgian Coast, located between Westende and Lombardsijde. It was one of the first campsites in Belgium to welcome caravans – a novelty at the time. It soon became a symbol of social tourism – attracting workingclass families and making travel accessible to people with limited means. 

In 1996, the quirky setting inspired filmmaker Jan Bucquoy to shoot his infamous movie ‘Camping Cosmos’ there. The movie featured notable appearances from author Herman Brusselmans, musician Arno, and – most notoriously – Lolo Ferrari, the busty adult film actress who portrayed the provocative and voluptuous wife of the campsite manager. 

A sequel of sorts to La Vie Sexuelle des Belges, the movie satirised Belgian seaside culture, painting it as a chaotic mix of free love, sunshine, beach parties, and an endless supply of beer. Think of it as a slightly surreal, Belgian version of Woodstock—on sand. 

The movie was considered the sequel to La Vie Sexuelle des Belges, and uses the sexual life of the campsite tourists as its premise. It’s in essence a satire of what seaside life should be according to the filmmakers: free love, sunshine, beach parties, and an abundance of beer. Think of it as a slightly surreal, Belgian version of Woodstock – on a beach. 

Unsurprisingly, the movie caused quite a stir. So much so that Camping Cosmos holds the unique title of being the only film in Belgian cinema history to have its government funding revoked after it had already been approved by the Department of Culture, no less. 

What happened to Camping Cosmos? In 2004, the Flemish government shut it down for good, opting to convert the land into a protected nature reserve to help restore the coastal dune ecosystem. 

But the spirit of Camping Cosmos lives on—in pop culture, film history, and, well… in Stefan Vanfleteren’s backyard. Because when he calls out Cosmos, a cute dog appears, wagging its tail.