Discover Ostend

The wide, several-kilometer-long sandy beach ranks among the finest on the Belgian North Sea coast and is lined by a long, car-free promenade with cafes and shops.

At the historic Vistrap right on the harbor, fishermen sell fresh catch daily, while numerous shrimp stands offer fried seafood for immediate enjoyment.

The important Belgian painter James Ensor spent most of his life in Ostend, and his former residence can now be visited as a museum.

The well-preserved fort from the Napoleonic era sits picturesquely between dunes and sea, reachable by a walk along the coast not far from the center.

Ostend station is reachable directly by train from Brussels in about 1.5 hours. From Switzerland, travel usually connects through Brussels, from where a direct train connection continues to the coast.

The wide, several-kilometer-long sandy beach ranks among the finest on the Belgian North Sea coast and is lined by a long, car-free promenade with cafes and shops.

At the historic Vistrap right on the harbor, fishermen sell fresh catch daily, while numerous shrimp stands offer fried seafood for immediate enjoyment.

The important Belgian painter James Ensor spent most of his life in Ostend, and his former residence can now be visited as a museum.