Things to do in Ostend

Best time to visit Ostend

• a note or something on   ✦ an occasion worth the trip

• May, June and September

  best months: beach weather without the crowds

• July and August

  peak beach season; packed, expensive, book everything ahead

• December to February

  North Sea winter: bracing walks, empty beach, cheapest hotels

What's on

• Theater aan Zee late July to early August

  the summer arts festival; the town's cultural high point

• Film Festival Oostende January/February

  the Belgian film festival

• Oostende voor Anker May

  the maritime festival with historic ships

Best things to do in Ostend

• Mu.ZEE

  $$

  Belgian art from 1880 to today; the essential indoor stop.

• James Ensor House

  $

  The painter's house-museum; pair it with Mu.ZEE.

• Mercator

  $

  The 1932 training ship, moored as a museum in the marina.

• Fort Napoleon

  $$

  Napoleonic fort in the dunes; take the free harbour ferry.

• The Crystal Ship

  Free

  City-wide street-art murals with waymarked trails; free.

• Royal Galleries of Ostend

  Free

  Neoclassical seafront colonnade; the classic sunset stroll.

• Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk

  Free

  The neo-Gothic church dominating the centre.

• Kursaal Oostende

  Free

  Casino and concert hall on the seafront; check the programme.

Where to stay in Ostend

• Seafront / Albert I Promenade

  the beach holiday

• City centre / Marie-Joséplein

  food and nightlife

• Kursaal / marina quarter

  the harbour side

• Oosteroever (across the ferry)

  quiet and dunes

Think twice about

• Station quarter

  functional and a bit rough at night; pass through, do not sleep there

• Far west seafront at Mariakerke

  quiet residential blocks, a long way from the centre's restaurants

• Beachfront in deep winter

  many seafront restaurants close November to March; confirm dinner options

Best restaurants in Ostend

• Bistro Mathilda

  $$

  Long-standing bistro; the petite bouillabaisse is the order.

• Paroles Paroles

  $$

  Contemporary Belgian cooking by the station; book ahead.

• Muccka

  $$

  Bistro with well-cooked fish, steak and burgers on the square.

• Café du Parc

  $$

  Classic Belgian food in an art-deco dining room.

• Toope

  $

  Fresh simple local food for breakfast or lunch.

• Q-Beach House

  $$

  Beach-club restaurant on the sand; book sunset tables ahead.

• Bakerie Decock

  $

  The bakery for the Ostendaise and proper viennoiserie.

• Frituur Franky

  $

  Frites and shrimp croquettes; the seaside ritual.

Best bars in Ostend

• CultuurCafé De Grote Post

  $

  Local gin and good coffee in the cultural centre.

• Den Artiest

  $

  Art-deco bar; the preliminary beer before Langestraat.

Outdoor things to do in Ostend

• Groot Strand

  Free

  The long sandy beach; swim in summer, walk in winter.

• Kusttram

  $

  The world's longest tram line along the whole coast.

• Oosteroever ferry

  Free

  Free harbour ferry to the dunes and the quiet eastern bank.

• Bruges

  $$

  20 minutes by train; the obvious medieval day trip.

• De Haan

  $

  Belle-époque seaside town; 15 minutes west on the tram.

• Atlantikwall Raversijde

  $$

  WWII bunkers as an open-air museum in the dunes.

Best hotels in Ostend

• Thermae Palace

  $$$

  The grand seafront hotel; the classic Ostend splurge.

• C-Hotels Andromeda

  $$

  Modern seafront hotel near the Kursaal; good value.

• Hotel du Parc

  $$

  Art-deco hotel opposite Leopold Park.

• Hotel Monarc

  $$

  Well-reviewed central hotel with a good breakfast.

• C-Hotels Burlington

  $$

  Family hotel on Kapellestraat overlooking the marina.

Is Ostend expensive? What a day costs

A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room

What to book ahead

• Bistro Mathilda: a few days ahead
• Paroles Paroles: a few days ahead
• Q-Beach House: a few days ahead
• Thermae Palace: a few days ahead
• C-Hotels Andromeda: a few days ahead
• Hotel du Parc: a few days ahead
• Hotel Monarc: a few days ahead
• C-Hotels Burlington: a few days ahead

• Bistro Mathilda and Paroles Paroles: book dinner ahead, especially weekends
• Q-Beach House sunset tables: book ahead in July-August
• summer weekend seafront hotels: book well ahead

Is Ostend safe?

• safe family seaside city; do not leave valuables unattended on the beach
• swim only in supervised zones, respect the flags, never swim after drinking
• emergency: 112

Ostend travel tips: tourist traps to skip

• seafront 'tourist menu' restaurants with photo boards: eat one street back
• the beach is packed by 11 in July-August; go early
• seafront parking in summer is expensive and scarce; come by train if you can

Getting around Ostend: public transport and more

• centre and seafront are walkable; the promenade connects everything
• the coastal tram is the transport: cheap day tickets, runs the whole coast
• the free harbour ferry runs frequently in season; check winter schedules
• trains: Brussels about 1h15 direct, Bruges 20 minutes, Ghent 40 minutes

Who Ostend suits

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