During which city are you able to discover a seaside, tradition and haute delicacies? Ostend, after all! This Belgian city on the Flemish coast is the good vacation spot for a cultural, nature and connoisseur getaway, simply accessible by prepare.
What to do in Ostend The place to eat? What are the very best addresses? What’s the historical past of the city? Right here’s a journey information to arrange your keep in Ostend!
This text was produced in collaboration with Go to Flanders. The opinions and options for actions talked about on this article are subsequently fully honest.
Ostend in brief
- How do you get there? By prepare, after all! From France, all you could do is take the Eurostar (previously Thalys), which connects Paris to Brussels in 1.5 hours, adopted by a connection between Brussels and Ostend that takes round 1 hour 10 minutes. All in all, it takes simply 3 hours by prepare to get from Paris to Ostend.
- How lengthy to remain? Ostend is a superb place to find over a weekend, however to keep away from frustration and to have sufficient time to go to town correctly, it’s greatest to spend 3 days right here, and extra in case you like!
- Who’s it for? Between its cultural occasions and its seaside location, Ostend gives a variety of actions for all ages. It’s a metropolis that lends itself equally properly to a getaway with mates, a romantic weekend or a household vacation.
- When do you have to go? Ideally in nice climate if you wish to benefit from the seaside, and all 12 months spherical in case you’re extra within the metropolis’s cultural choices.
- How do I get round? Ostend is a reasonably small city that may be simply explored on foot (enable 20 minutes to cross the middle, the place the details of curiosity are positioned). If strolling isn’t your cup of tea, or in case you’d wish to get away from the middle, there’s a streetcar and bus community. Single tickets price €2.5 and will be bought on-line at www.delijn.be.
- What language ought to I exploit to speak? Ostend is positioned within the Flemish a part of Belgium, the place Dutch is probably the most broadly spoken language. Nevertheless, english is broadly spoken, particularly in vacationer areas (resorts, eating places, museums…), so it’s straightforward to seek out english-speaking contacts.
The historical past of Ostend
Ostend’s origins date again to Roman instances, but it surely was not till the Center Ages that it grew to become a significant fishing city. Over the centuries, the city has developed into an vital seaport in Northern Europe.
Within the nineteenth century, Ostend grew to become a preferred seaside vacation spot, attracting European the Aristocracy and excessive society seeking spa therapies or just leisure. Because of this, the city skilled a growth in tourism, with the development of quite a few resorts, casinos and promenades alongside its magnificent sandy seaside. With the arrival of paid holidays in 1936, Ostend tailored to mass tourism with the development of low-cost lodging.
Throughout the Second World Struggle, Ostend was occupied by German forces and was the goal of quite a few Allied bombing raids that destroyed a lot of the city. After the battle, Ostend was rebuilt and regained its recognition as a port metropolis and seaside resort.
At this time, Ostend is a dynamic metropolis, combining a historic heritage with a contemporary, cosmopolitan ambiance.
What to do in Ostend 5 must-sees
Strolling alongside the seafront
As Ostend is a seaside city, it will be a disgrace to not reap the benefits of its seaside! A nice promenade has been laid out alongside the seafront, which you’ll both stroll alongside or take a trip on a rented rosalie.
The queen of seashores and the seaside of kings
Belgian King Leopold II (1835-1909) had a second dwelling in Ostend. He left his mark in town by finishing up quite a few transformations. He was additionally answerable for the Venetian galleries, which give a sheltered place to walk alongside the seafront.
Coming into James Ensor’s home
The painter James Ensor might be Ostend’s most well-known character! In recent times, his home has turn into a museum.
Ensor inherited this home from his uncle in 1917, and occupied it till his loss of life. The primary flooring of the home was a retailer promoting vacationer gadgets equivalent to shells and masks. When James Ensor got here to dwell in the home, he stored the shop because it was, like an astonishing cupboard of curiosities.
Along with the historic residences the place Ensor lived, the home additionally options an interpretation space presenting a panorama of his work. This can be a very fascinating go to, significantly suited to a household viewers, though there are not any unique works by Ensor right here, solely copies. To see a few of his work, go to the Mu.ZEE (see under) or the KMSKA in Antwerp.
Home of James Ensor
Deal with: Vlaanderenstraat 27, Ostend
Opening hours: day by day, besides Mondays, from 10 a.m. to six p.m.
Admission: €13, free for kids underneath 6, €6 for 6-14 year-olds, €9 for 15-25 year-olds
Web site: www.ensorhuis.be/en
Who was James Ensor?
Born in Ostend, James Ensor (1860-1949) is the city’s most well-known character. This atypical painter embraced many inventive currents, making his work unclassifiable. Against academicism, Ensor reduce brief his coaching on the Beaux-Arts, which he noticed as a “bunch of myopes”.
Ensor painted some 850 canvases over the course of his life, and is thought for his many masked figures. He was impressed by the masks in his dwelling retailer, which he used to boost the expressiveness of his characters’ faces.
Go to the Mu.ZEE
The Mu.ZEE assortment presents an outline of Belgian visible arts from 1860 to the current day. The everlasting exhibition options work by James Ensor, Léon Spilliart and Fixed Permeke.
The Mu.ZEE additionally presents main short-term exhibitions. As I write this and till April 14, 2014, the exhibition “Rose, rose, rose à mes yeux” is on view, exploring the theme of nonetheless life within the work of Ensor and Belgian painters from 1830 to 1930. A possibility to find quite a few unique canvases by Ensor, ¼ of whose work represented nonetheless lifes.
Mu.ZEE
Deal with: Romestraat 11, Ostend
Opening hours: day by day, besides Mondays, from 10 am to five:30 pm
Admission: €15, free for under-12s, €3 for 13-25s
Web site : https://www.muzee.be/
Slightly stroll within the park…
In your method to Mu.ZEE, cease off on the charming Parc Leopold. It’s small however properly laid out, and a really nice place to be.
Going to Fort Napoléon
As its title suggests, this fort was constructed at Napoleon’s request between 1811 and 1814 to guard the Empire from a possible invasion by England. Throughout the First and Second World Wars, it grew to become a part of the defensive wall of the German occupation forces.
Left derelict for the reason that finish of the battle, it was lastly restored in 1995 and opened to the general public in 2000.
You’ll be able to go to the fort with assistance from a well-produced audioguide, which recounts the various lives of this monument. Exhibitions are held recurrently, and through my go to there was an interactive exhibition on James Ensor, based mostly on the kids’s guide “Grote Kunst voor Kleine Kenners” (Nice Artwork for Little Connoisseurs).
Fort Napoléon
Deal with: Vuurtorenweg 13, Ostend
Opening hours: day by day besides Mondays, 10 am to six pm
Admission: €9, free for kids underneath 6, €7 for kids aged 6-12
Web site: www.fort-napoleon.be/en
On board, matey!
To get to Fort Napoléon from downtown Ostend, you’ll have to take a free ferry. The crossing of the harbor takes solely 3 minutes, however could be very nice!
Uncover town by following “The Crystal Ship” road artwork path
Ostend is a metropolis famend for its road artwork. Yearly, a dozen internationally famend artists go to the city. Dozens of works cowl sure buildings, turning Ostend into an open-air museum!
You’ll be able to uncover these works by following the “Crystal ship” route utilizing the free downloadable map (or decide up on the vacationer workplace) or the “Avenue Artwork Oostende” cell app.
Good addresses in Ostend
The place to eat in Ostend
Listed here are a couple of tried-and-tested locations to deal with your self in Ostend!
ZAZ Delicacies – €€€
This Italian restaurant is a marvel! The dishes are glorious, unique and really properly offered. The decor is cosy and heat. The waiters know tips on how to make you are feeling comfortable whereas remaining very skilled. In brief, that is my favourite restaurant in Ostend!
ZAZ Delicacies
Deal with : Van Iseghemlaan 16, Ostend
Web site web : https://www.zazcuisine.be/
Lusitania – €€€
Lusitania is a connoisseur restaurant positioned subsequent to the port. The chef’s 3-course (€52) or 5-course (€65) menu gives a horny vary of flavors. A nice wine checklist accompanies the dishes.
Please be aware: service is slightly gradual, and you need to enable 3h30 for the 5-course menu. I subsequently suggest this restaurant for dinner.
Lusitania
Deal with: Visserskaai 35, Ostend
Web site: https: //restaurant-lusitania.be/
Bistro Mathilda – €€€€
One other nice gastronomic handle is that this restaurant close to the On line casino-Kursaal, top-of-the-line brasseries in Ostend. The three-course discovery menu prices €61, whereas the 4-course menu prices €76.
If doable, ask for a desk upstairs, close to the home windows, to get pleasure from a view of Parc Léopold.
Please be aware: just like the Lusitania, service is gradual, so it’s greatest to go for dinner.
Bistro Mathilda
Deal with: Leopold II-Iaan 1, Ostend
Web site: https: //www.bistromathilda.be/
The place to remain? Discover a lodge in Ostend
Throughout my keep, I put my baggage down at theUpstairs lodge, simply 30 seconds from the seafront! It’s a contemporary institution with a feel-good industrial decor. All through the lodge, you’ll discover quite a few inscriptions to place a smile in your face! There’s even a slide, pool desk and desk soccer.
The rooms are spacious, quiet and cozy, and the buffet breakfast could be very beneficiant.
Many different resorts can be found in Ostend. Enter the dates of your keep under to see the out there institutions and their charges:
The above hyperlinks are affiliate hyperlinks, that means that I earn a fee in case you guide your lodge after clicking on them. It doesn’t price you something additional, but it surely helps me to develop Culturez-vous. Thanks! ☺️
Interactive map
All of the addresses talked about on this article will be discovered on this map:
Different cities to find round Leuven
Proceed your keep and uncover the remainder of Flanders:
Antwerp
Bruges
Mechelen
Get pleasure from your journey!
Article produced in collaboration with Go to Flanders. Many because of the Go to Flanders and Go to Ostend groups for his or her invitation.
Until in any other case said, the images illustrating this text are the property of Culturez-vous and is probably not reused with out permission.
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