VENUE > City Information

Ostend

Once being a medieval fishing village (15th century), Ostend has grown into a true city. In the 18th century the Ostendish Company brought wealth to the city by trading with the Far East. Ostend lies on the North Sea, approximately in the middle of the 64 km long Belgian coastline. Ostend used to be the summer residence of the Royal family and was therefore called "Queen of the bath towns". The royal villa, which was built under King Leopold II, has meanwhile been converted into a hotel-restaurant. Ostend is a dazzling seaside resort characterized by its fascinating medieval history, picturesque harbour, beaches and promenade with many culinary places and trendy cafés. There is a beautiful sea promenade lined with white columns in Belle-Epoque style. It is a picturesque city with a typical character and flavour.

The famous lighthouse rises 65 meters above the sea and guides the fishermen to safety in the harbour.
		Shrimp fishing at sea on the Crangon.
The Royal Galleries where completed in 1905. They are about 400 m long and originally served to protect the upper middle-classes from the sun and rain during their walks. They linked the Royal Chalet with the Wellington Racecourse. The Thermae Palace was built right next to the galleries at the beginning of the thirties.
		The Mercator was a training ship for officers of the Belgian merchant navy that sailed between 1932 and 1960. Now the ship is moored in Ostend, where it is kept in its original state so that it can regularly participate in important sailing events.