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Oct 27, 2023 · Visitors can explore its authentically preserved decks, cabins, mess hall and bridge to get a glimpse of life at sea over 80 years ago. Exhibits detail the ship's construction, voyages, and Belgian maritime history through nautical instruments, maps, artifacts, photos and memorabilia.
- Atlantic Wall Museum
- Beach of Ostend
- Zeilschip Mercator
- Kusttram
- Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk
- Koninklijke Gaanderijen
- Fort Napoleon
- Anno 1465 Raversyde
- Leopoldpark
- Mu.ZEE
Ostend’s Raversyde neighbourhood has been left with one of the best preserved remnants of the immense German Second World War coastal defence, the Atlantikwall. This piece is made up of two kilometres of tunnels and trenches, 60 bunkers, as well as observation posts and gun positions. The site has become a superlative open-air museum that you can e...
In the warmer months the appeal of Ostend’s beach is self-explanatory. There’s around seven kilometres of irresistible fine sand, more than 100 metres wide in places. Well over half of the beach is edged by a promenade, the longest and liveliest portion of which is the Albert I Promenade, packed with cafes and seafood restaurants for moules-frites....
This handsome 78.5-meter, three-master sailboat is permanently moored in front of Ostend’s city hall, serving as a floating museum and landmark. The Mercator, named after the Flemish cartographer, was built in Scotland and launched in 1932, put to use as a training ship, but also a research vessel and ambassador for Belgium at world fairs. After a ...
Almost all of the Belgian coast is served by a tramline that first opened between Ostend and Nieuwpoort in 1885. The Kusttram is now almost 70 kilometres long and as well as being one of the few interurban tramways still running, is also the longest tramline in the world. There are 67 stops along the line, and in the peak summer period there will b...
You’d be forgiven for thinking that this magnificent neo-Gothic church on the namesake square is much older than it actually is. King Leopold II (1835-1909) had ambitious plans for Ostend and had been itching to build a grander place of worship than the Sint-Pieterskerk that stood at this site. His chance came when that church burnt down in 1896, l...
West of the Albert I-Promenade the seafront walkway becomes the Koning Boudewijnpromenade when it reaches the Royal Villa. From here, for almost 400 metres up to the Hippodrome Wellington racecourse there’s a stately Doric colonnade dating from the beginning of the 20th century. This was built to protect bourgeois and aristocratic visitors from the...
In the dunes East of the harbour is a polygonal Napoleonic-era fort completed in 1811. This is a holdover from the War of the Fifth Coalition of 1809, when Napoleon was expecting a seaborne attack from the United Kingdom to help the Austrian Empire reclaim territory that had previously been theirs. This never actually occurred and Fort Napoleon was...
Keeping you in Raversyde a little longer is a museum and archaeological site at the former Medieval fishing village of Walraversijde. The roots of this settlement, on what was once an island, go back as far as the Neolithic period. But Walraversijde’s apogee came in the middle of the 15th century when there was a prospering fishing industry, while ...
A couple of streets in from the waterfront there’s a rambling English park landscaped during the 1860s on the site of the old city fortifications. Set around a pond, Leopoldpark is a peaceful place to get out of the breeze for an hour or two, and has a few monuments of its own to track down. The Flower Clock, measuring nine metres in diameter, was ...
Ostend has produced lots of important artists, not least James Ensor, Léon Spilliaert and Constant Permeke. The city acquired an art collection with a gift in 1885 and eventually found a permanent home in 1986 at a Modernist former department store dating to 1947. Mu.ZEE focuses on Belgian art from the middle of the 19th century to the present, and...
This is your guide to the essential Ostend, Belgium's underrated harbour city with history, culture and beer aplenty.
Located in the Flemish province of West Flanders, this wonderfully cosmopolitan city attracts coach tours from far and wide. With five and a half miles of glorious, sandy beaches, Ostend is a popular seaside resort, with an attractive esplanade, pier and promenade, with vibrant shops, bars and restaurants to enjoy.
A comprehensive 48-hour guide to Ostend, Belgium. Discover the can't miss sights that make this beach city unique and how to get the most out of your visit.
Feb 16, 2024 · Summary. Ostend in short. The history of Ostend. What to do in Ostend 5 must-sees. Walking along the seafront. Entering James Ensor’s house. Visit the Mu.ZEE. Going to Fort Napoléon. Discover the city by following “The Crystal Ship” street art trail.
A must see for history enthusiasts, this unique bunker complex is home to the only preserved German coastal battery from the First World War. Relax in the seaside resort of Ostend, Belgium, with our coach holidays. Enjoy sandy beaches, stroll along the promenade, and savour delicious seafood.
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