Abele
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abele is a small village or hamlet in the city of Poperinge, in the Belgian province of West-Flanders. The village is located on the territory of Poperinge proper and its "deelgemeente" Watou, but is also partly located on French territory. Abele has about 600 inhabitants, of which about 100 are French. The main street coincides with the border between Belgium and France, so houses located on different sides of the street are located in a different country.
The church of Abele is located on French territory, but the services are organized by the Diocese Brugge. The church-fabric of Watou and the local authorities of Boeschepe are responsible for its maintenance.
Abele used to be an import border crossing. In 1713, a tollhouse was set up, but it disappeared during the French Revolution. The old Belgian customs office was renovated en now serves as retro-café with a small exhibition.
