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Ostend Travel Guide
Nicknamed the ‘City by the Sea’, Ostend (Oostende in Dutch) stretches along about 7 km of wide North Sea shoreline, home to some of Belgium’s finest beaches. The year-round resort blends traces of Belle Époque elegance with reminders of its wartime past, while its cultural identity is enriched by figures such as painter James Ensor and singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye.
EAT
- AMY MARY (artisanal ice cream)
- Aquamarine (seafood)
- Bistro Bottarga (Belgian-global)
- Bistro Mathilda (Belgian)
- Frenchette (global)
- Haut (seafood-gastronomic)
- Ocean (seaside seafood)
- Petrus (romantic gastronomic)
- Restaurant Villa Ostinado (Belgian)
- Savarin (seaside Belgian)
- Toi Moi et la Mer (seaside seafood)
- Venetiaanse (Italian)
- Vlass, Middelkerke (gastronomic)
DRINK
- Brasserie Le Châtelet
- Café Botteltje
- Café du Parc
- CultuurCafé De Grote Post
- Et Alors (cafe)
- KAAP (cafe)
- Mac Moules (port terrace)
- Max Consael Tearoom (Oosteroever)
- Panorama (seasonal rooftop)
- Silt Hotel (seaside terraces)
- Zig Zag Art Bar
SHOP
- Brut (vintage designer fashion)
- Jerseyhoeve De Haan (dairy farm with take-away ice cream/desserts)
- Moeder Babelutte (caramels)
- Olivier Willems (chocolates)
- Reborn Sails (De Panne, upcycled bags and more)
- Vieux Jeu (vintage-inspired sportswear)
EXPERIENCE
- Film Festival Oostende, Feb
- Garnaal Kroketten (Shrimp Croquette) Festival, Oct
- Licht golf (light show), Nov-Jan
- Night Shift (culture trail), March
- Noordzeefakkeltocht (Torchlight Procession), Middelkerke, Aug
- Marvin Gaye Midnight Love Tour
- Oostende Koerse, July-Aug
- Sand Sculpture Festival, Middelkerke, July-Aug
- Theateraanzee, July-Aug
- Winter in het Park, Dec
MUST-SEE
- Ensorhuis (art museum)
- Fort Napoleon (museum)
- Royal and Venetian Galleries
- Mu.Zee (art museum)
- The Crystal Ship (street mural trails)
- Villa Maritza (architecture)
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