Ostend – a spa town in northwestern Belgium, in the Flemish Region, in the province of West Flanders, the administrative seat of the Ostend district. It is situated on the Belgian Coast, on the North Sea. The most important are: Raversyde Museum, Museum of Fine Arts and James Ensor Museum. Also located in the wild dunes, Fort Napoleon can be an interesting place. This is a wonderful museum, one of the main attractions on the Belgian coast. An extraordinary witness to the history of World War I and II.
- Casino Kursaal – the original Kursaal spa hall was built in 1878 as a theatre and event venue in Ostend, Belgium’s largest seaside resort, but was unfortunately destroyed during World War II. In 1950, architect Léon Stynen designed the 10,000 m² building, which became the largest casino in Europe and home to numerous works by artist Paul Delvaux. During the recent renovation, Pyrobel glass was used in many parts of the interior. The 2,000-seat auditorium and bar are protected by 25 mm thick glass partitions, with an EI60 fire resistance (i.e. the ability to contain a fire for one hour) and acoustic properties specially adapted to this use. The transparency of the protective glass, which extends from floor to ceiling, ensures that these spaces are flooded with natural light.
- Fort Napoleon in Ostend is a polygonal fort built during the Napoleonic era. It has recently been restored and opened to the public.
- The promenade and sandy beaches of Ostend. The summer sand sculpture festival is held in Ostend. In 2019, the theme was dreams. Forty sculptors from all over the world created dozens of magnificent sculptures using sand brought in on 240 trucks. The sculptures were between 2 and 6 meters high. In 2017, Disneyland Paris celebrated its 25th anniversary, so the theme was Disney characters.Tourists interested not only in the beach will probably want to visit museums. Ostend has several to offer. The most important are the Raversyde Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and the James Ensor Museum. Fort Napoleon, located among the wild dunes, can also be an interesting place.
- The Ensor House Museum is located in the house where the artist lived from 1917 to 1949. The museum does not have the artist’s original works. Instead, it takes visitors to the artistic Ostend of the early 20th century. In the original house where he lived, which he inherited from his aunt, we will see original furniture, full-size reproductions of his paintings and documents belonging to him.
- Near the church of St. Peter and Paul, at the entrance to the port, the Mercator is moored. From 1932 to 1960, this three-masted sailing ship served the Belgian merchant fleet. Its interior houses a maritime museum. The Mercator sometimes sails out of the port to participate in sailing shows.
- The Wellington Hippodrome is a horse racing track in Ostend in the Flemish Region of Belgium, built in 1883, renovated in 2011 and named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. The track hosts both harness racing and flat racing. Starting in late June, a race day is held every Monday. Among the flat races for Thoroughbreds, the Grand Prix Prince Rose is a notable one, held every July on the Nationale feestdag. Formerly known as the Grand International d’Ostende, the race was renamed after the great Belgian horse, Prince Rose.
- Albert Park is a football stadium located in Ostend, Belgium. The stadium is home to KV Oostende. Its capacity is 8,125. Diaz Arena.
- The Lange Nelle lighthouse is located in Ostend on the Belgian North Sea coast. There has been a lighthouse on this site since 1771. A new lighthouse was built in 1949. It is 58 meters high and the light is located 65 meters above sea level. It is painted in white and blue stripes. Fresnel lenses are used for lighting.
If you want to spend at least part of your vacation by the sea, then you should definitely go to Ostend, which is one of the largest and most important seaside resorts in the country. Are you visiting Bruges? Then take some time for a trip to the seaside in Ostend. Along the local seaside promenade you will find many attractions for the whole family.
