Ostend holidays

How to reach Ostend

Flight time: There are no direct flights to Ostend. Flights to Brussels, the nearest airport, take about 1 hour 10 minutes from London.

Transfer time: The best way to reach Ostend from Brussels is by train, a journey that takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.

Price:

• A single train ticket from Brussels Airport to Ostend costs around €25.

• Alternatively, a taxi to Ostend from Brussels Airport will set you back about €120.

Best time to visit Ostend

If the focus of your Ostend holidays is the beach, then best keep to the late spring and summer months. But autumn and winter do have their own attractions.

March to May: This is a pleasant time for holidays to Ostend, with temperatures gradually warming up to around 16°C by May. Rainfall is moderate, and you can expect 5–8 hours of sunshine daily.

June to August: High season in Ostend, when visitors flock to the beach to enjoy warmer weather, with temperatures hovering between 20°C and 25°C and around 8–10 hours of sunshine each day.

September to November: Temperatures drop from 18°C in September to around 10°C by November, with about 5–7 hours of sunshine per day. Crisp autumnal afternoons are ripe for long beach walks.

December to February: It may be cold, with temperatures averaging between 2°C and 7°C, but this is the perfect time to enjoy bracing coastal walks. The town’s Christmas markets also add a welcome dollop of festive cheer. Just don’t forget that warm coat.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: Dutch is the main language in Ostend, but both French and English are widely spoken.

• Local habits and customs: It’s nearly impossible to make a faux pas among the Belgians – they’re a relaxed bunch who take life at a leisurely pace. Leave a 10 percent tip in restaurants, and greet acquaintances with three kisses, not two.

• Currency: Belgium uses the Euro (€). ATMs are widely available, and most places accept major credit cards. Having cash is helpful for purchases at beachside vendors.

• Getting around: Ostend is a walkable city, but there’s also a reliable tram service along the coast, perfect for exploring the neighbouring beach resorts. A single tram ticket costs around €2.50 and day passes are available.

• Electricity and plug types: Belgium uses the standard European 230V two-pin plugs, so UK travellers will need an adaptor.

• Time zone: Ostend is on Central European Time, which is 1 hour ahead of GMT.

Best things to do in Ostend

Once a chichi resort, Ostend has had to reinvent itself many times, but today its charms as a seaside resort and centre of culture are very much in evidence.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Ostend Pier (Westelijk Strekdam): The 500m long pier offers stunning views of the North Sea stretching towards the horizon.

The best districts

• Ostend Beach: The pearl of the Belgian coastline – expect art installations, the freshest seafood and glorious acres of sand.

• Visserskaai: With a string of restaurants on one side and fish stalls on the other, Fisherman’s Quay is renowned for its seafood eateries offering a wide range of fresh, cooked and dried fish partly supplied by Ostend’s fishing fleet.

• Wapenplein: A pleasant open space that zeros in on an old-fashioned bandstand; once in the doldrums, canny planning and sympathetic redevelopment have turned it into a very sociable spot.

Museums

• Mu.ZEE (Museum of Modern Art and Contemporary Art): Ostend’s capacious fine art museum displays a wide selection of modern Belgian paintings drawn from its permanent collection alongside top-quality temporary exhibitions, mostly of modern and contemporary work.

Parks and gardens

• Leopold Park: A delightful and especially verdant park laid out in the 1860s, it’s home to a small lake, winding paths and the iconic Floral Clock.

Historical monuments

• Fort Napoleon: One of the best-preserved Napoleonic fortresses in Europe, an impressive star-shaped structure whose concentric brick walls are planted amongst the dunes behind the seashore on the eastern side of Ostend’s harbour.

• St-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk: The whopping, twin-towered St-Petrusen-Pauluskerk boasts lots of fancy stonework that looks distinctly Gothic, but the church does, in fact, date from the early 20th century.

• Atlantikwall: Just west of Ostend, this is a series of well-preserved gun emplacements, bunkers, pillboxes, tunnels, trenches and artillery pieces that line up along the dunes just behind the beach and the coastal tram line.

Day trips in the area

• Bruges: Explore the maze of cobbled streets, see fabulous Flemish artworks in the Groeninge Museum and St Janshospitaal, visit the Begijnhof and take a boat trip on the canals.

• Ghent: A vital, vibrant metropolis whose booming restaurant and bar scene wends its way across a charming cityscape comprising a network of narrow canals, all overseen by handsome classical mansions and antique red-brick houses.

• Ypres: This handsome town in West Flanders is home to the In Flanders Fields Museum, an excellent introduction to World War I, and is also the site of the Menin Gate, a moving memorial to thousands of British and Imperial soldiers.

• De Haan: Flanked by empty dunes, De Haan is a leafy family resort with an excellent beach and a pleasant seafront promenade.

Activities for families in Ostend

Ostend is packed with family-friendly activities, most of which are centred on or near the beaches, making it a great choice for travellers with kids.

• Beaches: Ostend’s sandy beaches are ideal for family fun, with plenty of space for sandcastles, beach games and sunbathing. There are also play areas and beach sports like volleyball.

• Coastal tram: Fast and fun, the Kusttram travels the length of the Belgian coast from Knokke-Heist train station in the east to De Panne train station in the west, putting all the Belgian resorts within easy striking distance of each other. Fares are inexpensive too: a flat-rate, single-journey ticket costs €2.50, or you can opt for unlimited tram travel for one day with the dagpas for €7.50.

Free things to do in Ostend

The greatest free pleasures to be had in Ostend are of course on the beach, but there are plenty of other ways in which you can save money.

• Beaches: Soak up the sun, swim and partake in all the traditional seaside stuff - from sandcastle building to flying kites - all for free.

• Free events: Ostend hosts numerous free events throughout the year, including music festivals and open-air movie nights, but the one that really pulls in the punters is the annual Sand Sculpture Festival.

• Prom walks: The seafront promenade, part sea defence and part royal ostentation, was – and remains – an intentionally grand walkway, best enjoyed with ice cream in hand.

Nature and outdoor activities in Ostend

The coast is the natural go-to playground in these parts, whether that’s messing about on the beach itself, cycling the coastal path or participating in activities on the water.

• Beach sports: Ostend’s pristine sands are ideal for all manner of sports like volleyball, frisbee and beach football. You’ll find designated areas for beach games, making it easy to join in the fun or simply watch from the sidelines.

• Dune walks: If you find the North Sea too cold for anything other than a brave toe dip, head to the rolling dunes near both Ostend and De Haan, where you can embrace some lovely walks.

• Cycling: Ostend’s scenic and well-maintained coastal paths stretch for miles. Rent a bike and ride along the seafront, or explore nearby towns like Middelkerke and De Haan, which are connected by a network of trails.

• Water sports: Ostend’s waters are popular for a variety of water sports, including kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, The strong North Sea winds also provide nigh on perfect conditions for surfing and windsurfing, with several rental shops and schools nearby.

Local dishes in Ostend

Seafood is the big gastronomic deal here – as evidenced by the seafood stalls lined up along Visserskaai - but there’s much more besides to get your chops into.

Some typical dishes

• Moules-frites: Effectively the national dish, no trip to Belgium is complete without tucking into a steaming pot of locally caught mussels and freshly cooked fries.

• Waterzooi: A delicious, filling soup-cum-stew, made with either chicken (van kip) or fish (van riviervis).

Meat dishes

• Gentse stoverij: A local beef stew slow-cooked with Belgian beer, Gentse stoverij is a flavourful dish served with thick-cut fries and a dollop of mustard.

Fish and seafood dishes

• Shrimp croquettes: Crispy, golden croquettes filled with North Sea grey shrimp, usually taken as an appetiser.

Street food

• Frites: Served from friture/frituur stands or parked vans all along the seafront, these are simply chips, served with salt and mayonnaise.

Sweets and desserts

Ostend is famous for lemonades and neuzekes, or “little noses” – cone-shaped sweets with a raspberry-flavoured gooey centre.

Local drinks

• Belgian beer: Beyond the common lager brands – Stella Artois, Jupiler and Maes – there are about 700 speciality beers, from dark stouts to fruit beers, wheat beers and brown ales. The most famous are the strong ales brewed by the country’s six Trappist monasteries.

• Genever: Similar to gin, it’s made from grain spirit and flavoured by juniper berries. It’s available in most ordinary and specialist bars, with several hundred varieties available.