Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

West Flanders West Flanders is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the North Sea to the northwest. It has land borders with the Dutch province of Zeeland to the northeast, the Flemis ...

in the

Flemish Region The Flemish Region (, ), usually simply referred to as Flanders ( ), is one of the three communities, regions and language areas of Belgium, regions of Belgium—alongside the Wallonia, Walloon Region and the Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region. ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke,

Raversijde Raversijde () is a neighborhood and former parish of the West Flemish town of Ostend. It is adjacent to Middelkerke, another neighborhood, which is located on the North Sea coast. Raversijde is located on the Kusttram, which is the coastal tramw ...

, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast.

History

Middle Ages

In the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages (historiography), Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start o ...

, Ostend was a small village built on the east-end () of an island (originally called

Testerep Testerep (or Ter Streep) once comprised an island along the Belgium, Belgian coast. It existed as early as the 5th century. From the 10th century Fishing villages were scattered about, including Ostend and Westende, with Ostend on the far east ( ...

) between the North Sea and a beach lake. Although small, the village rose to the status of "town" around 1265, when the inhabitants were allowed to hold a market and to build a market hall. The major source of income for the inhabitants was fishing. The

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

coastline has always been rather unstable due to the power of the water. In 1395 the inhabitants decided to build a new Ostend behind large

dikes Dyke or dike may refer to: General uses * Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian" * Dike (geology), formations of magma or sediment that cut through and across the layering of adjacent rocks * Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess ...

and further away from the always-threatening sea.

15th–18th centuries

The strategic position on the North Sea coast had major advantages for Ostend as a harbour but also proved to be a source of trouble. The town was frequently taken, ravaged, ransacked and destroyed by conquering armies. The

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

rebels, the Gueuzen, took control of the town. The

Siege of Ostend The siege of Ostend was a three-year siege of the city of Ostend during the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo–Spanish War (1585), Anglo–Spanish War. A Spanish Empire, Spanish force under Archduke Albert (1559–1621), Archduke Albrecht besieg ...

, 1601 to 1604, of which it was said that "the Spanish assailed the unassailable and the Dutch defended the indefensible", cost a combined total of more than 80,000 dead or wounded, making it the single bloodiest battle of the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...

. This shocking event set in motion negotiations that led to a truce several years later. When the truce broke down, it became a

Dunkirker During the Dutch Revolt (1568–1648), the Dunkirkers or Dunkirk Privateers were commerce raiders in the service of the Spanish monarchy and later the Kingdom of France. They operated from the ports of the Flemish coast: Nieuwpoort, Ostend, ...

base. After this era, Ostend was turned into a harbour of some importance. In 1722, the Dutch again closed off the entrance to the world's biggest harbour of

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

, the

Westerschelde The Western Scheldt ( ), in the province of Zeeland in the southwestern Netherlands, is the estuary of the Scheldt river. This river once had several estuaries, but the others are now disconnected from the Scheldt, leaving the Westerschelde as ...

. Therefore, Ostend rose in importance because the town provided an alternative exit to the sea. The Belgium Austriacum had become part of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

. The Austrian Emperor Charles VI granted the town the trade monopoly with Africa and the Far-East. The

Oostendse Compagnie The Ostend Company (; ), officially the General Company Established in the Austrian Netherlands for Commerce and Navigation in the Indies () was a chartered trading company in the Austrian Netherlands (modern-day Belgium) in the Holy Roman Empir ...

(Ostend trade company) was allowed to found colonies overseas. However, in 1727 the Oostendse Compagnie was forced to stop its activities because of Dutch and British pressure. The Netherlands and Britain would not allow competitors on the international trade level. Both nations regarded international trade as "their" privilege. There was a

Jewish community Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

in Ostend, which was first noted in the 16th century.

19th century

On 19 September 1826, the local

artillery magazine A magazine is an item or place within which ammunition or other explosive material is stored. The word is taken originally from the Arabic word ''makhāzin'' (مخازن), meaning "storehouses", via Italian and Middle French. The term is also u ...

exploded. At least 20 people were killed and a further 200 injured. The affluent quarter of d'Hargras was levelled and scarcely a building in the city escaped damage. Disease followed the devastation leading to further deaths. The harbour of Ostend continued to expand because the harbour dock, as well as the traffic connections with the hinterland, were improved. In 1838, a railway connection with

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

was constructed. Ostend became a transit harbour to England in 1846 when the first ferry sailed to

Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...

. An October 1854 meeting of American envoys led to the

Ostend Manifesto The Ostend Manifesto, also known as the Ostend Circular, was a document written in 1854 that described the rationale for the United States to purchase Cuba from Spain while implying that the U.S. should declare war if Spain refused. Cuba's annex ...

. Important for the image of the town was the attention it started to receive from the Belgian kings Leopold I and Leopold II. Both monarchs liked to spend their holidays in Ostend. Important monuments and villas were built to please the Royal Family, including the

Hippodrome Wellington The Hippodrome Wellington (also ''Wellingtonrenbaan'') is a horse racing race track, track in Ostend in the Flemish Region of Belgium built in 1883, renovated in 2011 and named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. The facility hosts b ...

horse racing track and the Royal Galleries. The rest of aristocratic Belgium followed and soon Ostend became known as "the queen of the Belgian sea-side resorts". In 1866, Ostend was the venue for a crucial meeting of exiled Spanish Liberals and Republicans which laid the framework, the

Pact of Ostend The Pact of Ostend was an agreement signed on 16 August 1866 in Ostend, Belgium, uniting the exiled Spanish Progressive Party, Democratic Party, and later the Liberal Union to overthrow the monarchy of Isabella II of Spain, whose authoritarian ru ...

, for a major uprising in their country, culminating in Spain's

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1688, was the deposition of James II and VII, James II and VII in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II, Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange ...

two years later.

20th century

The two world wars proved to be disastrous for Ostend. The

Belle Époque The Belle Époque () or La Belle Époque () was a period of French and European history that began after the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 and continued until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era of the Fr ...

-era ended for the city in 1914 at the start of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

when the Germans placed anti-aircraft batteries along Fort Napoleon and in the dunes along the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Duinenkerk. During the German invasion of Belgium, Ostend along with

Zeebrugge Zeebrugge (; from , meaning "Bruges-on-Sea"; , ) is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with ...

fell to the Germans without fighting on October 15, after which they stationed German submarines and other light naval forces in the city for much of the duration of WWI. Near the end of the war, the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

tried to block Ostend twice with a

naval blockade A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations ...

: the first raid took place on 23 April 1918, the second raid on 9 May 1918. Between the wars, the town hosted all of the

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, Windsurfing, windsurfer, or Kitesurfing, kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (Land sa ...

events for the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (; ; ), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (; ; ) and commonly known as Antwerp 1920 (; Dutch language, Dutch and German language, German: ''Antwerpen 1920''), were an international multi-sport event held i ...

for

. Only the finals of the

12 foot dinghy The Twelve Foot Dinghy was designed by George Cockshott, an amateur boat designer from Southport, England in response to a 1912 design contest. It became the first one-design racing dinghy to achieve international recognition. The class was gra ...

took place in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

. Ostend also hosted the

polo Polo is a stick and ball game that is played on horseback as a traditional field sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports, having been adopted in the Western world from the game of Chovgan (), which originated in ancient ...

events. Ostend was once again a target at the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

by both the

Axis An axis (: axes) may refer to: Mathematics *A specific line (often a directed line) that plays an important role in some contexts. In particular: ** Coordinate axis of a coordinate system *** ''x''-axis, ''y''-axis, ''z''-axis, common names ...

and Allied powers. The city would face repeated bombing raids by the

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

during the German invasion of Belgium on 10 May 1940, destroying significant parts of the historic coastline in the process. As early as 13 and 15 May, German bombs fell in the evening and night around Fort Napoleon and the water tower in the Vuurtorenwijk. On the 17th of May more bombs were dropped, with the freight station on the Istanbul quay being hit as a result. Around this time, the fear that Ostend would be bombed heavily by the Luftwaffe started to form, prompting many to flee the city by boat to England or France. The 21st of May was the scene of another air raid on Ostend, causing big fires as a result. One of such fires was at ''Hotel Splendid'' on the corner of the Kemmelbergstraat. The beach hotel of Ostend was hit by three German bombs on the 24th of May. The hotel was used as a hospital and killed over 50 Belgian soldiers after a massive fire broke out. The next day, the 25th of May, another German bombing raid was carried out. At around 08:00 in the morning, incindiary and bisance bombs were dropped on the city, causing around 3 to 4 fires and killing 12 civilians as a result. The last bombing raid on the 27th of May ended up completely destroying the city hall of Ostend at the Wapenplein as well as the city archive and paintings created by

James Ensor James Sidney Edouard, Baron Ensor (13 April 1860 – 19 November 1949) was a Belgian painter and printmaker, an important influence on expressionism and surrealism who lived in Ostend for most of his life. He was associated with the artistic ...

and

Léon Spilliaert Léon Spilliaert (also Leon Spilliaert; 28 July 1881 – 23 November 1946) was a Belgian draughtsman, illustrator, lithographer and painter. In his early career, he contributed to the development of symbolism in the visual arts in Belgium ...

. In total, the bombing raids between the 21st until the 27th of May caused over 75 deaths of civilians and soldiers in the city. After the German bombings stopped in May 1940, Allied bombings started in June of that year. The

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

repeatedly targeted the city due to British fears that Germany would use the strategic coastal city for a German invasion of England. As a result, more civilians died and even more of the coastline and inner city, as well as the harbour, ended up being damaged or destroyed. After the successful invasion of Belgium and the occupation, the Germans decided to demolish the remnants of the Kursaal and build a bunker underneath its remains. They also decided to enact the massive

Atlantic Wall The Atlantic Wall () was an extensive system of coastal defence and fortification, coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defense (military), d ...

in the city and heavily reinforced and defended it due to its strategic location. The city was liberated by Canadian troops on 8 September 1944. Ultimately, the many German and British raids on Ostend ended up destroying many historic houses as well as iconic buildings along the coast as well as in the inner city like the city hall, Kursaal, post office and

. No other Belgian city was bombed as often and faced as much destruction as Ostend: 407 Allied bombs were dropped on the city, making Ostend the most bombed city in Belgium. Because of this, many of the damaged houses and public buildings were left standing in the city for years. It was ultimately decided that the remnants of said buildings, such as civilian houses and luxury hotels, would be torn down instead of restored after the war and reconstructed with

modernist Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...

apartment blocs due to an increasing demand in these types of buildings from the tourist sector.

21st century

Ostend's Winter in the Park festival draws more than 600,000 people to the seaside city. During December, Ostend's Christmas market, one of the largest in Europe, features vendors and food sellers along with ice skating, music and other events. A light-show tunnel on one of the major shopping streets attracts and amuses visitors from all over Belgium, Europe and beyond.

Sights

Ostend is known for its sea-side esplanade, including the

Royal Galleries of Ostend The Royal Galleries of Ostend () are a seaside neoclassical arcade on a dike on the beach of Ostend, Belgium. They extend from the royal villa in the east to the Hippodrome Wellington horse racing track in the west. The galleries are over lo ...

, pier, and fine-sand beaches. Ostend is visited by many day-trippers heading to the beaches, especially during July and August. Tourists from inland Belgium and from abroad mostly arrive by train (day trips) and head for the closest beach area, the ''Klein Strand'', located next to the pier. The locals and other residents in Belgium usually occupy the larger beach (het Groot Strand). Near the beach is a well-preserved section of the fortified

, open to the public as the

Atlantic Wall Open Air Museum The Atlantic Wall Open Air Museum () is a military museum near Ostend in Belgium which preserves fortifications of the Atlantic Wall dating to the First World War, First and Second World Wars. The section of fortifications owned by the museum - ov ...

located in

. One can walk through the streets around ''Het Vissersplein''. At certain times, there are markets in the neighbourhood streets and in the summer the ''Vissersplein'' has music festivals. The ''Vissersplein'' (''Bonenstraat''/''Kadzandstraat'') is a car free zone with many brasseries where patrons can sit outside and have a drink. Towards the port side there are many little fish outlets, and beyond that the ferries can be observed docking. Notable sites include: * the

Casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

and Fort Napoleon *

Oostende railway station Oostende railway station (; ) is a railway station in Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium. It is operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB). History The first station in Ostend was opened in 1838 during the reign of Leopold I ...

* The ''

Mercator __NOTOC__ Mercator (Latin for "merchant") often refers to the Mercator projection, a cartographic projection named after its inventor, Gerardus Mercator. Mercator may refer to: People * Marius Mercator (c. 390–451), a Catholic ecclesiastica ...

'', the ex–training sailing ship for Belgian merchant navy officers, now open to the public to view *

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

venue * St Petrus and St Paulus Church, Ostend (''

Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk (Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul) is a Roman Catholic church in Ostend, Belgium. The neo-Gothic building was constructed on the ashes of a previous church that occupied the site. King Leopold II enthusiasticall ...

''), built in

Neo Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

style * King Leopold II statue *Synagoge Oostende

Museums

The

museum can be visited in the house where the artist lived from 1917 until 1949. The Mu.Zee (merged from the and the ) is the museum of modern art (from the 1830s to the present) and displays works of noted local painters such as

, Leon Spilliaert,

Constant Permeke Constant Permeke (; 31 July 1886 – 4 January 1952) was a Belgian painter and sculptor who is considered the leading figure of Flemish Expressionism. Biography Permeke was born in Antwerp but when he was six years old the family moved to Ost ...

and the revolutionary post-war Belgian

COBRA COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...

movement amongst others.

Climate

Ostend has a maritime temperate climate, influenced by winds from the North Sea, making summers cooler than inland Europe. 24-hour average temperatures below the freezing point is a rare occurrence. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Ostend has a

marine west coast climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring co ...

, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.

Transport

Ostend–Bruges International Airport Ostend–Bruges International Airport , commonly known simply as Ostend Airport, is an international airport located south southwest of Ostend, Belgium, near the coast and about from central Bruges. Although freight transport is the focus of ...

located 5 km (3 miles) from Ostend is primarily a freight airport but offers passenger flights to leisure destinations in

Southern Europe Southern Europe is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, C ...

and Turkey.

TUI fly Belgium TUI fly Belgium, legally incorporated as ''TUI Airlines Belgium nv'' and formerly branded ''Jetairfly'', is a Belgium, Belgian scheduled and charter airline with its registered office at Brussels Airport. The airline is a subsidiary of the TUI ...

has its headquarters in Ostend.

TAAG Angola Airlines TAAG Angola Airlines E.P. () is a state-owned airline and flag carrier of Angola. Based in Luanda, the airline operates domestic services within Angola, medium-haul services in Africa and long-haul services to Brazil, Cuba, and Portugal. The a ...

's Ostend offices are on the grounds of Ostend Airport. The Ostend railway station is a major hub on the

National Railway Company of Belgium The National Railway Company of Belgium (, NMBS; , SNCB; ) is the national railway company of Belgium. The company formally styles itself using the Dutch and French abbreviations NMBS/SNCB. The corporate logo designed in 1936 by Henry van de Ve ...

network with frequent InterCity trains serving

Brugge railway station Brugge railway station (; ) is the main railway station in Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. The station opened on 12 August 1838 on railway lines 50A, 51 and 66. The current building has been in use since 1939. The station is one of the busi ...

, Gent-Sint-Pieters, Brussels South and Liège-Guillemins on

Belgian railway line 50A The Belgian railway line 50A is a railway line in Belgium connecting Brussels to Ostend through Ghent and Bruges. The section between Ghent and Ostend was completed in 1838. The section between Ghent and Brussels was opened between 1923 and 1933, ...

. The

Coast Tram The Coast Tram () is a light rail service connecting the cities and towns along the Belgian (West Flanders) coast between De Panne, near the French border, and Knokke-Heist, near the Dutch border. At in length, it is currently the world's long ...

connects Ostend with

De Panne De Panne (; ) is a town and a municipality located on the North Sea coast of the Belgian province of West Flanders. There it borders France, making it the westernmost town in Belgium. It is one of the most popular resort town destinations within ...

to the south and

Knokke-Heist Knokke-Heist (; ) is a municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Heist-aan-Zee, Knokke, Duinbergen, Ramskapelle and Westkapelle. On January 1, 2006, Knokke-Heist had a total population o ...

in the north. Ostend formerly had busy ferry routes to

and

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town and civil parish in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in eastern Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2021 it had a population of 42,027. Ramsgate' ...

, but the last of these services ended with the failure of

TransEuropa Ferries TransEuropa Ferries was a freight and passenger ferry company operating between Ramsgate, Kent, UK and Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium from 1998 to 2013, with three or more ships. The company suspended operations on 18 April 2013, and on 2 ...

in 2013.

Gallery

File:Casino Kursaal.jpg, Casino Kursaal File:Ostend pier 20040908-002.jpg, Pier File:20040909-003-oostende-mercator.jpg, Museum-ship, the barquentine ''Mercator'' File:Station Oostende Gebouw.jpg,

Tramstation Oostende in 2009 2.jpg, Tram station File:Watertoren Maria Hendrika park.JPG, Municipal park File:Renbaan(07).jpg,

File:Peperbusse.jpg, The ''Peperbusse'', the tower of a burned down church File:Vissershuisje Ostend.jpg, Fisherman's house from 1729 (Kapucijnenstraat) File:Synagoge Oostende (55414).jpg, The Ostend Synagogue

Twin towns – sister cities

Ostend is twinned with: *

Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...

, Monaco (1958) *

Banjul Banjul (, (US) and ), officially the City of Banjul, is the capital city of The Gambia. It is the centre of the eponymous administrative division which is home to an estimated 400,000 residents, making it The Gambia's largest and most densely ...

, Gambia (2003) * Ostende, Argentina (2021)

Notable residents

References to these notable citizens of Ostend can be found on the oostende.be website.

Sport clubs

BC Oostende Basketball Club Oostende, for sponsorship reasons Filou Oostende, is a Belgium, Belgian professional basketball team. The club is based in Ostend and was founded in 1970. The club competes domestically in the BNXT League and internationally in t ...

(basketball) *

Hermes Volley Oostende Hermes Volley Oostende is a volleyball team based in Ostend (Oostende), Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is border ...

(volleyball) *

K.V. Oostende Koninklijke Voetbalclub Oostende, also called KV Oostende () or KVO, was a Belgian professional association football, football club based in Ostend, West Flanders. The team was founded in 1904 as ''VG Oostende'' and had Football in Belgium#Matr ...

(

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

) * Wellington Golf Oostende (golf)

In popular culture

Ostend has been used as a film location by numerous directors. The movies ''

Place Vendôme The Place Vendôme (), earlier known as the Place Louis-le-Grand, and also as the Place Internationale, is a square in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France, located to the north of the Tuileries Gardens and east of the Église de la Madelein ...

'' with

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress. She is considered one of the greatest European actresses on film. In 2020, ''The New York Times'' ranked her as one of th ...

; ''

Daughters of Darkness ''Daughters of Darkness'' is a 1971 erotic horror film co-written and directed by Harry Kümel and starring Delphine Seyrig, John Karlen, Andrea Rau, and Danielle Ouimet. Set in a nearly deserted seaside hotel in Belgium, the film follows a ne ...

'' with

Delphine Seyrig Delphine Claire Beltiane Seyrig (; 10 April 1932 – 15 October 1990) was a Lebanese-born French actress and film director. She came to prominence in Alain Resnais's 1961 film '' Last Year at Marienbad'', and later acted in films by Chantal A ...

as Countess Bathory; ''

Armaguedon ''Armaguedon'' () is a 1977 crime-thriller film starring Alain Delon, and adapted from the novel ''The Voice of Armageddon'' by David Lippincott. It recorded admissions of 716,098 in France.Alain Delon Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon (; 8 November 1935 – 18 August 2024) was a French actor, film producer, screenwriter, singer, and businessman. Acknowledged as a cultural and cinematic leading man of the 20th century, Delon emerged as one of ...

; ''

Camping Cosmos ''Camping Cosmos'' is a 1996 Belgian satirical comedy film and a sequel to '' La Vie sexuelle des Belges 1950-1978'', directed by the same director: Jan Bucquoy. It stars Claude Semal, Lolo Ferrari (Miss Vandeputte), Noël Godin ( Pierre Mertens) ...

'' with

Lolo Ferrari Lolo Ferrari (born Ève Valois; 9 February 1963 – 5 March 2000) was a French dancer, actress, and singer billed as "the woman with the largest breast implants in the world". She entered the international limelight in 1995, appearing in the F ...

; and ''

Ex Drummer ''Ex Drummer'' is a 2007 Belgian black comedy rock music film directed and co-written by Koen Mortier, whose previous work was limited to television commercials. It is based on the 1994 book by Herman Brusselmans of the same name. While receiving ...

'', based on the novel by

Herman Brusselmans Herman Frans Martha Brusselmans (; born 9 October 1957) is a Belgian novelist, poet, playwright and columnist. He lives in Ghent. He is one of the best-selling authors in Flanders, but controversial at the same time for his profane language and o ...

; were partially shot in Ostend. The comic ', about a dreadful invasion of rats, is set in Ostend.

References

External links

* * , limited information available in French, English and German.
Toerisme Oostende – English edition – extensive
. {{Authority control Municipalities of West Flanders Olympic sailing venues Populated coastal places in Belgium Port cities and towns in Belgium Port cities and towns of the North Sea Ports and harbours of the English Channel Seaside resorts in Belgium Venues of the 1920 Summer Olympics Olympic polo venues

History

Middle Ages

15th–18th centuries

19th century

20th century

21st century

Sights

Museums

Climate

Transport

Gallery

Twin towns – sister cities

Notable residents

Sport clubs

In popular culture

See also

References

Further reading

External links