Only 15 minutes away from Bruges by
train and just an hour from Brussels, the port city of Ostend (Oostende) –
rejoicing in the titles, “the Queen of Beaches” or “The City by the Sea” – is, Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk
© BeerTourism.com
with around 70,000 inhabitants, Belgium’s biggest and best known coastal resort.
© BeerTourism.com
with around 70,000 inhabitants, Belgium’s biggest and best known coastal resort.
And it’s a vibrant, historically
rich place to visit. Ostend’s spirit is egalitarian and welcoming; everyone
goes to the seaside to enjoy themselves and everyone is welcome here, from
royalty to the man on the Brussels
omnibus.
From Lord Byron to Caruso and Albert
Einstein everyone who’s anyone has spent time – and money – in Ostend. Marvin Gaye made his home here for a while in his
turbulent 1980s, recuperating from a severe drug addiction and writing “Sexual
Healing” the video to which was shot in the local casino.
To Belgians the most famous Ostendais
of them all remains painter James Ensor who spent most of his life here.
Today Ostend has a modern look and
feel and is geared to hosting major conferences and welcoming hordes of
tourists.
With centuries of weary travellers
and pleasure-seeking trippers passing through the city, they know how to do
hospitality. Luckily nearly all the locals speak English as even their fellow
Belgians struggle to get their ears around the thick local Flemish dialect. © BeerTourism.com
Ostend may have lost some of its
Belle Époque grandeur but it’s still very much alive and kicking and it’s a
great little city to visit all year round.
Besides its several renowned beaches
Ostend is packed with an enormous and diverse variety of accommodation and
there’s plenty to do when the rain comes down.
There’s a lively nightlife scene
with plenty of good restaurants and the city is a major shopping centre.
Ostend’s inhabitants are fiercely
proud to be 'Ostendais' and are known in Belgium for their joie de vivre. The
city has a well-equipped Tourism Office located right in front of the Casino.
For opening hours, tips, advice, tours and much more check Visit
Ostend.
North
Sea Beer Festival’s second successful showing
OSTEND - For the last weekend of
August, Ostend moves its location to the shores of the ‘beer sea’ as Belgian
breweries, ... [ more ]
No comments:
Post a Comment