Ostend, Belgium

Ostend is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. Ostend was a small fishing village when the late 19th century king Leopold II decided to make it his beach resort. It is now the Grand Old Lady of Belgian beach resorts, with the royal palace and other signs of 19th century grandeur. Very popular among tourists as a day trip from Brugge or British vacationers on day or weekend trips.

At the extreme Western side of the Sea Promenade King Leopold II had a 390m long gallery constructed in 1906. This beautiful promenade with its white columns in Belle-Epoque style and elegant gallery with its Toscan columns was built by the French architect Charles Girault. At the end of the gallery is a small but beautiful pavilion, known as the 'Venetian Gallery'.

Ostend is home to many fine museums displaying collections from Neolithic and Roman times to a large variety of works by the Belgian masters. Ostend is probably best-known as a ferry port. Ships have shuttled between Dover in the U.K. and Ostend for more than 150 years.

Things to See & Do

* Fort Napoleon.
* Sea-side promenade, pier
* Venetian Gallery
* Maritime Museum
* PMMK (Provinciaal Museum voor de Moderne Kunst-Aan-Zee)

General information

Cruise Season - Feb - Dec
Currency - Euro (€)
Language - French, Dutch, German
Land Area - 37.72 km²
Population - 70,000
Electricity - 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT plus one hour
International Country Telephone Code + 32

Port Location - The port is located next to the town centre of Oostende; cruise ships practically berth in the middle of town.

Travel Links - The cruise quay is situated next to the railway station, from which the High-speed 'Thalys' rail link with Paris departs. Brussels, Ghent and Bruges are served three times per hour. A large square in front of the railway station offers ample space for coaches taking passengers on a variety of excursions. The Ostend/Bruges International Airport is located 6km's from Ostend.