Ostend

Ostend (Dutch: Oostende, meaning "East End") is a seaside city of 70,000 inhabitants in West Flanders in Belgium. Its North Sea beaches have drawn in tourists since the 19th century when it was a fashionable outing for royalty and aristocracy. It has since become more democratic and is now densely built up with tall 20th-century blocks of holiday apartments and hotels. Its waterfront promenade features every cliche of a European seaside holiday, including a large musical theatre and casino. Besides being a holiday destination, Ostend is also a sizeable port for cargo traffic, particularly across the English Channel. Passenger lines towards the UK have ceased.

Understand
Ostend used to be a small fishing village on the easternmost edge of an island on the shore of the coast. The original town centre is 200 m away in the sea compared to the present day seashore. After the town was flooded and destroyed several times by severe storms, it was moved onshore to its current location. The mudflat between the island and the coastline gradually sanded and the island became a part of the main land. Ostend prospered as a market town. In the 17th century the harbour of Ostend gained importance. Ostend received a lot of attention of Belgian kings Leopold I and Leopold II, since they liked to spend their holidays here. They built many important buildings in the city, such as the Hippodrome Wellington horse racing track and the Venetian-style Royal Galleries, which are still a notable landmark along Ostend's main beach.

Post-war hunger for investments destroyed much of Ostend's original charm, replacing them with tall concrete apartment buildings. In the city centre, several high-rise buildings have been constructed in the 2010s, chiefly intended for the super rich from outside of the city, as most of these appartments are far more expensive than what any local could ever afford. However, some relics of the historical Ostend however managed to survive and can still be found.

Climate
Ostend has a maritime temperature climate which is heavily influenced by the winds from the North Sea. Due to these winds summers here are much cooler than in inland Europe. On the other hand night temperatures below the freezing point are not very common in winter. As is the case anywhere along the North Sea coast, sea water temperatures are highest in mid- to late summer, when the beaches are at their busiest.

By plane


Most travellers arriving by air will however find it easier to fly to Brussels National Airport, which handles by far the most international traffic in and out of Belgium. There is no direct connection between BRU and Ostend, you must change trains at the Bruxelles-Midi station, which is fairly problem-free.

You can also fly in to other airports with direct connections to Bruxelles-Midi, such as Paris Charles de Gaulle or Amsterdam Schiphol, or the airport of Charleroi, branded as "Brussels South" by the low-fare carriers flying there. The former two feature direct high-speed trains to Midi, the latter is served by buses to the station.

De Lijn operates a bus (line 6) between Ostend Airport and the city centre.

By train
The is in the centre of Oostende and offers many direct connections within Belgium. Changing in Brussels, Ghent or Antwerp adds even more options, both domestic and international. In particular, changing in Brussels-Midi allows you to use the high-speed trains of Eurostar (from London) and Thalys (i.e. Paris, Lille, Amsterdam, Duesseldorf and Cologne), as well as other services from the Netherlands, France and Germany. The Thalys no longer serves Ostend.

The travel time by train is little over an hour from Bruxelles-Midi, with 40 minutes to Ghent and 15 min to Bruges.

By bus
The Flemish national bus company, De Lijn, has lines to Ostend from Bruges, Diksmuide and other neighbouring towns. For more information regarding different timetables (only in Dutch): https://www.delijn.be.

By car
Coming to Ostend by car is also possible. Ostend has plenty of parking lots.

By tram
The Kusttram, which runs along the whole Belgian coast from Knokke to De Panne stopping in every beach resort such as De Haan, Nieuwpoort and Koksijde. This tram stops along the beaches of Ostend and at the Ostend train station.

Get around
Most points of interest in town are close together. You can easily reach them by foot or by renting a bicycle from the rail station for €9 per day. De Lijn bus lines 5, 6, and 39 go along the seafront to the west; if you want to get to points farther along the coast, in either direction, take the Coast Train from a stop next to the rail station. You can pick up a taxi at the rail station, or call Taxibond (+32 59.70.27.27).

Raversijde
An area in the western suburbs of Ostend, Raversijde is a short ride out of town on the Kusttram. Raversijde is most famous for its eponymous domain, formerly part of the royal estate. Leopold II had a holiday chalet here and Charles VI retired to the estate following his regency. Sold to the state in 1981, Raversijde is now run as a country park by the provincial government. The park, as of 2022 contains:

Do

 * Football: KV Oostende were relegated in 2023 so they play soccer in Challenger Pro League, Belgium's second tier. Their home ground Versluys or Diaz Arena (capacity 8400) is 2 km west of the river.
 * Football: KV Oostende were relegated in 2023 so they play soccer in Challenger Pro League, Belgium's second tier. Their home ground Versluys or Diaz Arena (capacity 8400) is 2 km west of the river.

Buy
Ostend is a paradise for shopaholics. First of all, you have the Kapellestraat with all the important large chain stores. In the Adolf Buylstraat you can find designer clothing, shoes and accessories. Ostend has also a shopping center Shopping Center Feest- en Kultuurpaleis with 17 different shops. Other shopping streets are Christinastraat, Witte Nonnenstraat, James Ensorgalerij and Alfons Pieterslaan.

Eat
There are a number of places to eat in Ostend, ranging from Pizza Hut to charming old-style Flemish pannenkoekenhuizen (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.

A common treat is a coffee served with a small advocaat (eggnog). Sometimes these come with three or four profiteroles, free of chocolate sauce, for dipping in the liqueur.

Drink

 * The Langestraat area is the area with the most bars in Ostend. You have a choice of over 30 bars and restaurants.
 * The Langestraat area is the area with the most bars in Ostend. You have a choice of over 30 bars and restaurants.
 * The Langestraat area is the area with the most bars in Ostend. You have a choice of over 30 bars and restaurants.

Connect
Ostend has 4G from all Belgian carriers. As of June 2022, 5G has not reached the city.

Go next

 * De Haan is a beach resort with many fanciful buildings in the belle époque style. Residential streets are lined by many quaint houses. De Haan is an easy side-trip from Ostend by the coastal tram (Kusttram). Get off at the station De Haan aan Zee. Also neighbouring Bredene-aan-zee is nice to visit, as it is the only Belgian coastal town where the original coastal dunes have not been destroyed by the 'Atlantikwall' of endless rows of uniform, ugly and grey apartment blocks so characteristic of the Belgian seaside. In Bredene, there is no seaside promenade, the town is behind the dunes and high-rises are limited. On the beach, all you see behind you are dunes, and a couple of casual beach bars. A few WWII German bunkers (part of the original Atlantikwall) still stand on top of the dunes. Bredene is also home to Belgium's only nudist beach (a small section of the beach east of town centre). Bredene is halfway towards De Haan, and you can get there either by coastal tram or by taking the free ferry and walking along the beach (just 3 km).