Ostend: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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EUR 75 - 140 Prado
 Hotel Prado is ideally located near the city centre. The sea promenade and the beach, the casino, the shopping centre and the city park are situated a… MoreEUR 69 - 155 Hoevehotel ' T Kruishof
 Cosy family hotel at the border of the city and nearby the sea(800m).Tasteful interior and comfortable rooms in English style.11 Rooms with private ba… MoreEUR 55 - 130 Hotel Princess
 Hotel Princess is a very cozy family hotel where you will always be
greeted warmly. The hotel is very well situated in the centre near the marina and … MoreEUR 50 - 200 Hotel De Hofkamers
 Renovated, charming hotel, situated in a quiet street in the town centre. With only 25 rooms the staff aim to offer you a personal and friendly stay.
… MoreEUR 95 - 95 Top Appartement Oostende
 Top apartment for 4 persons with a fabulous sea view at the Little Beach in Ostend. The apartment is comfortably furnished according to modern standar… MoreEUR 70 - 124 Hotel Burlington
 Hotel Burlington enjoys a grandiose situation next to the shopping
centre and the yacht harbour. It is easy to get to via the
motorway, train station … MoreEUR 59 - 125 Strandhotel Grand café du Bassin
 The Strandhotel is a very cosy family hotel which is very well situated in the centre of Ostend near the marina. The beach, the park, the shopping cen… MoreEUR 40 - 85 Hotel Serge
 Familyhotel, quiet and central located. Close to the beach, casino and Leopoldpark with his famous flowerwatch. Hotel Serge offers you a pleasant stay… MoreEUR 95 - 95 Luxe Appartement Oostende
 Luxury apartment with spectaculair view of the Ostend Marina. This new apartment is located in the heart of Ostend, near the populair shopping centre.… MoreEUR 50 - 120 Hotel Louisa
 Pleasant family hotel in art-déco style, uniquely situated in the city centre on 50 meters from the beach, the casino and the market square. We offer… MoreEUR 43 - 166 El Mirador Quality Stay
 Experience what it’s like to live along the wonderful Belgian Coast, near the harbour of charming Ostend, and enjoy the self-catering accommodation … MoreEUR 65 - 140 Hotel Pacific
 A quiet oasis in a fascinating town by the sea!
A pleasant stroll from the bustling streets and the sparkling nightlife of Ostend, yet only 50 yards f… MoreEUR 90 - 180 Hotel Glenmore Thalasso & Spa
 Ostend, shopping city, city of culture, Queen of Seaside Resorts! If you like the cosy shopping centre, you will most certainly like Hotel Glenmore an… MoreEUR 77 - 121 Acces Hotel
 Welcome to this magnificent 4-star hotel, where you will receive generous hospitality, high comfort levels and excellent service; all in a fantastic l… MoreEUR 55 - 100 Ostend Hotel
 Looking for a trend-setting hotel at the beachside? Business or pleasure, into sports or the lazy type, a relaxing break or discovering the night life… MoreEUR 65 - 110 Ter Streep
 Situated in the heart of Ostend, along the green Leopold II Avenue,
within walking distance to the beach, the casino, the shopping centre,
the park an… MoreEUR 70 - 245 Hotel Europe
 Stylish decorated rooms, with modern facilities, colour television, direct dial phone, room safe, bathroom with bath/ shower and toilet. Cosy lounge, … MoreEUR 51 - 188 Royal Astrid
 The 3-star Hotel Royal Astrid is situated 50 metres from Ostende's beautiful sandy beach.
After a warm welcome at reception, available 24 hours a da… MoreEUR 55 - 250 Best Western Hotel Imperial
 Located in the very heart of Ostend, the hotel is situated in a quiet location with excellent transport links and access to the city centre.
Situated… MoreEUR 69 - 214 Ramada Ostend
 Situated in the city centre, with the casino, the Promenade and the beach within walking distance, the hotel offers an ideal position for exploring al… MoreEUR 68 - 175 Golden Tulip Bero Oostende
 Situated near the beaches and entertainment centre of the city the hotel provides a sophisticated but relaxed atmosphere in an ideal location, whether… MoreEUR 60 - 180 Hotel Lido 2000
 Well situated family-run hotel, with the personal touch. Near the casino, the main shopping centres, the beach, the Leopoldpark, the municipal swimmin… MoreEUR 56 - 110 Hotel Du Parc
 Very attractive hotel (Art Déco), decorated with tasteful furniture, with a view over the square. Situated in the city centre at 50 meters from the c… MoreEUR 55 - 110 Hotel Ter Kade
 The comfort of Ter Kade Hotel is enhanced by the fascinating panorama covering the sea, the beach, the harbor entrance, the fishing harbor, the yachti… MoreEUR 40 - 70 Ambassadeur
 Mid-town hotel near the beach and shopping centres. We have quiet rooms at the back or rooms with a nice view if you enjoy a helicopter perspective on… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ostend: Guide
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Ostend (French & Belgian Municipalities in Belgium|municipality located in the Flemish Region|Flemish Provinces of Belgium|province of West Flanders. It comprises the villages of Mariakerke, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest at the Belgian coast.
History
Origin to Middle Ages
In earlier times, Ostend was nothing more than a small village built on the east-end (Dutch language|Dutch: oost-einde) of an island (called Testerep) between the North Sea and a beach lake. Although small, the village rose to the status of "city" 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 coastline has always been rather unstable and in 1395 the inhabitants decided to build a new Ostend behind large dikes and further away from the always threatening sea.
15th to 18th century
The strategic position on the North Sea coast had major advantages for Ostend as a harbor but also proved to be a source of trouble. The city was frequently taken, destroyed and rampaged by conquering armies. The most important of these events was the three-year Siege of Ostend between 1601 and 1604, with on both sides combined more than 80,000 dead or wounded. After their independence from the Spanish Empire, the Netherlands|Dutch had persevered (Protestant Dutch freedomfighters).
After this era Ostend turned into a harbour of some importance. In 1722 the Dutch closed off the entrance to the harbour of Antwerp. Therefore, Ostend rose in importance because the city provided an alternative entrance to the sea. The Southern Netherlands (now Belgium) had become part of the Austrian Empire. The Austrian Emperor Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles VI granted the city the trade monopoly with Africa and the Far-East. The Oostendse Compagnie (= the Ostend trade society) 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.
Modern era
In later times the harbour of Ostend continued to expand because the harbor dock, as well as the traffic connections with the hinterland, were improved. In 1838 a railway connection with Brussels was constructed. Ostend became a transit harbour to England in 1846 when the first ferry sailed to Dover. It no longer serves in that role today, except for freight, as an alternative channel crossing point to Calais, France. Very important for the image of the city was the attention it started to receive from the Belgian kings Leopold I of Belgium|Leopold I and Leopold II of Belgium|Leopold II. Both liked to spend their vacations in Ostend. Important monuments and villas were built to please the Royal Family. The rest of aristocratic Belgium followed and soon Ostend became known as "The Queen of the Belgian sea-side resorts".
Sights
Interesting locations are the Casino and Fort Napoleon.
Ostend is also famous for its sea-side esplanade, pier, and fine-sand beaches.
The James Ensor museum can be visited in the house where the artist lived from 1917 until 1949.
The Mercator, an educational tall ship of the Belgian merchant fleet, has been converted into a maritime museum.
Famous citizens of Ostend
Lilian Baels, princess
K.V. Oostende (football (soccer)|football)
- Information available in Dutch language|Dutch and limited information available in French language|French, English language|English and German language|German.
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Ostend". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Auguste Marie Francois Beernaert, Prime Minister of Belgium and Nobel Peace Prize recipient
Alfred Belpaire, locomotive engineer
Jean-Marie Dedecker, politician and judo-coach
Cesar De Paepe, syndicalist
James Ensor, painter
Marvin Gaye, singer
Arno Hintjens, lead-singer of TC Matic
Stefaan Maene, backstroke swimmer
René Magritte, surrealist painter
Marie-José of Belgium, princess, then last queen of Italy
August Michiels, sculpturer, painter, engraver
Constant Permeke, expressionist painter
Leon Spilliaert, painter
Henri Storck, author, film-maker, and maker of documentaries
Robert Triffin, economist
Johan Vande Lanotte, politician
Robert Van De Walle, judoka
Bart van den Bossche, singer, actor, and radio/tv presenter
Peter Van Heirseele, aka Herr Seele, cartoonist (Cowboy Henk), painter and performer
Luc Zeebroek, aka Kamagurka, cartoonist, singer and performer Sport clubs
Basketball Club Oostende (basketball)External links
- Non-Official, although it offers lots of useful information. Cover your eyes - it's blue and orange. Information available in French, English and German.
- Site about the Ostend dialect and culture with Ostend grammatical rules. (mainly in Dutch (nl) and Ostend dialect).
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- Official website of the international airport of Ostend.
- Website of one of the local parks.