Ostend travel guide: beaches, things to do & where to stay on the Belgian coast

E By Emma · Updated 21 October 2026 · 3 min read

Airports

Brussels (BRU), about 1 hour 45 minutes by train; Eurostar to Brussels-Midi then about 1 hour 15 minutes by train

Best time to go

June-September for the beach; May and October for quieter walks

Type

City

Ostend is the grandest of the Belgian seaside resorts, a city of long sandy beaches, a promenade backed by apartment blocks and Belle Époque survivors, and a working fishing harbour. Belgian kings holidayed here in the 19th century, and the painter James Ensor spent most of his life in the town.

Many British visitors remember it as the old ferry port, but today it is a destination in its own right: lively in summer, bracing and atmospheric out of season, and a good base for both the coast and Bruges. Ostend is in West Flanders; see our Belgian coast guide and the Belgium guide for more.

Things to do in Ostend

1. The promenade and beach – a long, wide seafront walk above a sandy beach, ideal for walking, cycling or hiring a go-cart style beach bike.
2. Seafood by the harbour – stalls near the Vistrap sell grey shrimps, whelks, fish soup and fried fish to eat on the spot.
3. Mu.ZEE – the art museum focuses on Belgian art, with a strong collection of works by James Ensor and Léon Spilliaert.
4. James Ensor House – the artist's former home and the shop below it, with a modern visitor centre.
5. Mercator – a three-masted training ship moored in the marina, now a museum you can board.
6. Fort Napoleon – a pentagonal fort built under Napoleon's occupation, in the dunes across the harbour, reached by a short free ferry.
7. Atlantikwall at Raversyde – an open-air museum of German coastal defences from both world wars, just west of the city.
8. The Royal Galleries – a long colonnade built for King Leopold II along the seafront towards the racecourse.

Where to stay

• Seafront (Zeedijk) – sea-view rooms and the beach on your doorstep, with plenty of hotels and apartments.
• Town centre – near the shops, restaurants and the station, a few minutes' walk from the sea.
• Mariakerke – quieter western suburb with a more relaxed beach, linked by the coast tram.

Getting there

There is no longer a passenger ferry from the UK to Ostend. The easiest route is Eurostar to Brussels-Midi, then a direct train to Ostend, which takes roughly an hour and a quarter. From Brussels Airport (BRU) allow around an hour and three-quarters by train. Ostend-Bruges airport is small with few passenger flights, so check seasonal routes. Driving from the Calais or Dunkirk ferry ports, or Eurotunnel, takes about an hour, making Ostend one of the easiest places in Belgium to reach by car.

Best time to visit

July and August are the busiest months, with beach bars, events and the warmest sea, though the North Sea is always on the cool side. June and September are calmer and often sunny. Out of season, Ostend makes a good winter weekend of bracing walks, museums and seafood.

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