Ostend is the Belgian Coast’s most popular place for a day trip. according to an official study. Also in winter time. The only City by the Sea offers all year round animation. Check out our Special Offers and numerous winter events, such as ‘Winter Ice’, ‘Christmas Square’, ‘Magic Lights in the Parc’, ‘Queen of Proms Culinary Christmas Happening’, ‘Winter warmth’, ‘Sylvester Fireworks’, ‘New Year’s Dive’.
Ostend (Dutch: Oostende, French and German: Ostende) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast.
There are a number of places to eat in Ostend, ranging from a Pizza Hut to charming old style Flemish Pannenkoekenhuis (Pancake Houses). There are also a number of chocolatiers and Dutch style Snoepje (Sweetie) stores, the latter lit up in bright pink neon. Most street corners are either a coffee shop or a bar.
Interesting locations are the Casino and Fort Napoleon. Ostend is also famous for its sea-side esplanade, pier, and fine-sand beaches. The James Ensor museum can be visited in the house where the artist lived from 1917 until 1949. The Mercator, an educational tall ship of the Belgian merchant fleet, has been converted into a maritime museum.
Hippodrome Wellington, horse racing venue, St Petrus and St Paulus Church, Ostend (Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk), built in Neo Gothic style. In the PMMK (Provinciaal Museum voor de Moderne Kunst-Aan-Zee, the museum of modern art) you can view works of the Revolutionary post-war Belgian COBRA movement amongst others.
Beach(es): Ostend is visited by many ‘day’ tourists, especially during July and August. Tourists from the Belgian inland and foreigners mostly arrive by train (day trips) and head for the closest beach area from the station (kleinstrand). The locals and other residents in Belgium usually occupy the larger beach (grootstrand). Ostend is widely visited by British, Germans, French and Dutch. Buses from Brussels tend to pass through giving the opportunity to North American and Asian tourists to view Ostend.
Views from the pier promenade or beach of departing and arriving passenger ferry ships from Ramsgate (UK). During summer evenings (or just any kind of weather) you can walk through the little streets around Het Vissersplein. At certain times there are local markets in the neighbourhood streets and in the Summer the Vissersplein has music festivals.
The Vissersplein (Bonenstraat/Kadzandstraat) is a car free zone with many brasseries where you can sit outside and have a drink. Look towards the port side and find many little fish outlets, and beyond that, again, you can view close the ferries docking.
Train station, Film locations: more and more directors are filming in Ostend. The movies Place Vendôme with Catherine Deneuve; Daughters of Darkness with Delphine Seyrig as Countess Bathory; Armaguedon with Alain Delon; Camping Cosmos with Lolo Ferrari; and Ex-Drummer based on the novel by Herman Brusselmans were partially shot in Ostend. The comic Le Bal du rat mort about a dreadful invasion of rats, is set in Ostend.
Leave a Reply