Mussels and chips, Belgian beer and chocolate all await you in Ostend. Add to that Europe’s longest coastal tram route, miles of sandy beach and fabulous outdoor art and you have a perfect Belgian weekend break. This two day Ostend itinerary combines the city’s best art, history and seaside experiences, making it an ideal weekend break from the UK or elsewhere in Europe
I have visited Ostend many times, some of them as a guest of Visit Flanders and Visit Ostend.
Table of Contents
Quick snapshot of my weekend in Ostend
If you’re looking for things to do in Ostend, you’ll find far more than just a beach. This is Belgium’s most artistic seaside city, where beaches, sculpture, street art, James Ensor and seals combine to create the perfect cultural weekend
- Beach stroll
- Crystal Ship Street art trail
- Seafood lunch
- Beaufort Sculpture park
- James Ensor House
- Mercator ship
- Harbour Ferry
- Wild beaches
- Atlantic Wall
- Fort Napoleon
- Coastal tram
Day one Ostend itinerary: Art, Beaches and Seafood in Ostend, Belgium
Start your weekend in Ostend with the beach, seafood and great art
Stroll along the seafront
Ostend beach has golden sand for as far the eye can see. In the summer it is alive with families making sandcastles and running into the sea. At quieter times of year, stroll along the tide line looking for shells. Along the promenade keep an eye open for the multi-seat bicycles that roll along.
Seals in Ostend
Yes, you read that correctly. Seals in Ostend. When I visited they were basking on the harbour beach. As with their cousins on the Norfolk coast, don’t get too close to seals. A zoom lens is your friend., that way you can take photos and see the seals without disturbing them.
Seek out Sculpture
As you take in the sea views keep an eye open for sculpture. Beaufort sculpture park stretches the length of the Belgian coast. In Ostend you can see the giant green Monument for a Wullock by Stief DeSmet on the harbour arm, big red Rock Strangers by Arne Quinze where the promenade meets the harbour arm and Moeder by Femmy Otten frolicking in a fountain.
Find Street Art
Ostend is one big outdoor art gallery, in addition to the sculpture there is street art. The Crystal Ship art route has around 100 murals and street art across the whole city. To see all of them, you need to hire a bike. Even without a bike you can see an impressive array of street art just strolling round the city centre. You can get self-guided routes round, both by foot and bike, on the Ostend app.
Seafood stall lunch
When at the seaside I like to eat fish. At Ostend the harbour is lined with stalls selling fresh seafood to eat. Boiled whelks, shrimp rolls or tasty matjes herring.
Visit James Ensor at home
James Ensor is one of Belgium’s greatest artists. Working at the turn of the nineteenth century he was an early pioneer of both Expressionism and Surrealism. Masked figures crowd his paintings. He lived most of his life in Ostend and you can visit his house.
- James Ensor House or James Ensor Huis, Vlaanderenstraat
- Admission: €14
Day Two Ostend Cultural Weekend: Ships, History and the Belgian Coast
A day for ships, trams and wild beaches.
Explore the Mercator
The Mercator is a handsome ship, all masts and sleek lines. She is three masted Barquentine or Schooner Barque and was launched in 1932. Sleek and seaworthy she sailed round the world before becoming a sail training vessel. Nowadays she is a museum, you can step aboard and explore from the top deck down.
- Mercator, Opposite the station in the Mercator Dock
- Admission: Adult €8
Board a Harbour Ferry
Now for a real voyage. Don’t worry you’re not going far, just across the harbour. Free ferries leave from just below the fish market. The voyage from shore to shore takes less than five minutes, I visited on a busy day and queued for longer! On the other side you will find wild beaches, no cafés or toilets just miles of sand backed by sand dunes that are studded with defences left over from many wars.
Pause to look at HMS Vindictive
As I rounded the headland I saw what looked like the prow of a naval ship on the harbour arm. Closer inspection revealed that it is the prow of HMS Vindictive and a war memorial. On the night of 9-10 May 1918, the HMS Vindictive tried to block the port of Ostend to prevent German submarines getting into the North Sea. She sank with the loss of 8 men, plus 10 missing and 29 wounded.
See the Atlantic Wall defences
Napoleon, the Kaiser and Hitler all recognised that the Belgian coast was vulnerable to attack. All of them built defences amid the sand dunes. The defences from World War II are called the Atlantic Wall. Those rounded concrete structures, they are gun emplacements.
Halve Maan Battery
The Halve Maan (or Half Moon) overlooks Ostend harbour. It started life as a seventeenth century defensive structure. During World War I a new bunker was built and is the only one to survive. In the Second World War more structures were built including a command bunker, machine gun emplacements and observation posts. After the war the Belgian navy used the site as a radar base.
Battery Hundius
Just along the coast is the Battery Hundius. Here four gun casements surround a rare fire control bunker and tunnel. Both of these can be visited on Bunker day in June, information from Raversyde. If you want to know more about the Atlantic Wall visit the bunker complex at Raversyde on the south side of Ostend. Check out my guide to the Belgian coast for more information.
Fort Napoleon
Fort Napoleon was built by Napoleon (well, on his orders). He feared that the British would try to land at Ostend and built the fort both to defend and house troops. British troops didn’t come this way and during the 19th century the fort was reclaimed by the dunes. During the First World War the fort was excavated from the surrounding dune and once again deployed for defence and again in the Second World War. Nowadays you can visit and learn all about the fort’s history. Down in the basement is an exhibition devoted to Subway Art exploring the beginnings of street art, including the chance to wield your own spray paint. Be sure not to miss the café at the top of the fort with great views across the dunes.
- Fort Napoleon, Vuurtorenweg 13, Ostend
- Admission: €14
- Fifteen minute walk from free ferry
- Tramstop: Oostende Duin aan Zee
Take the Belgian costal tram
Ostend is on the world’s longest tram line. It runs the entire length of the Belgian coast, from the French to the Dutch borders. You can head back into Ostend town via the tram. For other places to visit take a look at my guide to the Belgian Coast.
Where to stay in Ostend
- Hotel Montaigne, Breidelstraat – chic and modern Aparthotel overlooking the market square.
- C Hotels Burlington, Kapellestraat – family hotel overlooking the marina
- Hotel du Parc, MarieJoséplein — art deco splendour https://www.hotelduparc.be/en
Where to eat in Ostend
When in Belgium by the sea, seafood is always the top of my list. Mussels and chips or moules frit always go down well. One of my favourite things ever is Garnaalkroketten or shrimp croquettes, eat them as a snack for lunch, or with the first beer of the evening or as a starter.
- Muccka, Marie-Joséplein – great bistro serving excellently cooked fish, steak and burgers.
- Cafe du Parc, Marie-Joséplein – classic Belgian food served in an art deco dining room
- Toope, Groentemarkt – great spot for lunch or breakfast, fresh local food, served simply.
- Seafood stalls at the Fishmarket – fresh fish ready to snack on. Keep an eye out for hungry seagulls ready to swoop.
How to get to Ostend from the UK
Cross channel ferries no longer shuttle back and forth across the North Sea to Ostend. The best way to get to Ostend from the UK is by Eurostar to Brussels, change platform to catch a train direct to Ostend that will take about 1¼ hours. Book tickets within Belgium via the Belgian Train website.
Is Ostend worth visiting for a weekend?
YES! Mr CW loves Ostend. Whenever I suggest a European seaside jaunt, his first word is always Ostend. Why? We love it because it is Belgium’s most artistic seaside city. There are so many things to do in Ostend. A place where beaches, sculpture, street art, James Ensor and galleries meld for the perfect cultural weekend by the seaside.
When to visit Ostend?
Ostend is great at all times of year. In the summer the beach is very crowded, you are definitely in bucket and spade territory. Schools break up at the end of June for two months in Belgium, so July and August are crowded. My favourite time of year to visit is Spring, early summer and autumn. I have visited in deepest February when the light was great and the beaches perfect but, not everything was open.
Belgium is one of my favourite countries to explore, easy to get to from the UK with lots of cities packed with great art that make perfect weekend destinations. Bruges is a quick (and cheap) train ride from Ostend, check out my guide to Bruges. Mr CW and I have also enjoyed visits to Antwerp, Ghent, Mechelen, Leuven and Mons. For top tips on travelling to Belgium take a look at my guide to exploring Belgian Cities by Train.
