This year's theme is Around the World, and it is made up of 100 wonders of the world, both man-made and natural. The Parthenon is perfectly to scale, the Transfiguration Church has all of its 22 domes, and the faces of Mount Rushmore look just like the ones in South Dakota, save for their size.

But these monuments don't exist in a vacuum; they are woven into whole landscapes of their countries: brown bears and matryoshka dolls, Abba and Pippi Longstocking, Flamenco dancers. It's a pretty appropriate theme for sculptors who hail from all over the world, including China, Mexico, Belgium, Russia and Spain.

Sand artists are sculptors, and their work displays the fine details you expect from much sturdier material. In fact, many of these sculptors work in stone or marble when they're not moulding sand. This festival is one of the best of its kind in Europe, and sand sculptors line up to take part.

The artists used a list of cultural and natural heritage sites from UNESCO to make their choices, and the work is so realistic, school students were bussed to the festival when it opened in late May to "see the world".

Working in a field that is so easily related to childhood, sand sculptors generally have a sense of humour about their work, which shows up here and there in added touches. It's wise to let your eye linger over each scene. The festival has a walking path, partially indoor to protect the delicate work, and partially outdoor, since this is summer at the beach, after all.

And this year there's something new: some of the sculptors have coloured their sand to add a bit of contrast to the otherwise monotone shade of the 80 truckloads of sand brought from caves in Belgium. (Sea sand in fact is far more difficult to sculpt.)

At the end of your travels, you'll find a traditional cafe spiegeltent (mirror tent), with mahogany seats and French crystal chandeliers. Sit right down - it's not made of sand.

Until 31 August
Koning Albert I laan 115 Blankenberge (free parking on site)
www.zandsculptuur.be