We have just got back from a wonderful trip to Belgium. Our holiday was based in Ostende and before we set off I hadn’t really heard much about it and found getting a guide book on this area very difficult. So I thought I would relate my experiences of the place and what we found to see and do while visiting. We were only there for four days and spent most of the days out and about, but we did have a chance to explore Ostende and to use the local transport frequently.

Ostende is located in an area of Belgium known as West Flanders, not far from Bruges and Gent and around 70 miles from Brussels. It is a coastal resort, located in the centre of Belgium’s coastline, which also has ferry and Hovercraft terminals, a train station, a tram link and a fishing port. There has been a link between Dover and Ostende for over 150 years and Ostende is a very popular seaside resort. There is also an airport nearby and a Casino that attracts many visitors.

~~~HOW WE GOT THERE.

~~~WHERE WE STAYED.

~~~BARS.

Beer choices vary in size from bar to bar ~ you’ll get soft drinks, spirits and wines and usually a beer list to pick which of the excellent bottles you want to try. My top tips are to have one of the more reasonably priced draught beers while perusing the list and to ask the waiters what they recommend. Service is notoriously slow so you will get time to look through the menu!

We didn’t want to be constrained by getting back to the hotel for the evening meal so we cancelled them and instead we ate out. During the day we had a meal in the places we visited ~ on Saturday we ate in Bruges and in Ghent on Sunday. In the evenings we opted for a snack in Ostende ~ there is plenty of choice. We had either bratwurst, frites and mayonnaise, or some seafood from the stalls that line the pavement near the harbour (wonderful trays of mixed shellfish). These were very reasonably priced (two Euros for a huge bratwurst!) and the fritte shop had an area where you could eat in (and toilets too). There are lots of other restaurants if you wanted a larger meal (Chinese restaurants, pizza places and bars serving mussels and other Belgium dishes), but we just needed a snack.

Belgium trains and trams are great and very novel for the British traveler ~ they actually run on time!!! On our first evening we got a tram along the coast to the next resort up the coast (De Haan) for a drink in a bar that was recommended to us. A return cost us just over 3 Euros ~ you can either buy your tickets from the office, on the platform from a machine or on the tram itself. Tickets need to be validated by putting them in a machine on the tram (just remember that a return bought at the office is already validated for the outward journey but MUST be validated on returning to avoid getting a fine).

It is easy to walk around Ostende itself as the centre and promenade are pretty close together. If you don’t want to walk you can hire bikes or four wheeled pedal cars on the seafront. We didn’t use the bus service, but the stops were located near to the train station, harbour and tram stops.

To be honest, we did most of our souvenir shopping in Bruges and Ghent, but we did browse round a few shops in Ostende (we found a good shop selling papers, sweets, t shirts and the like). Cigarettes, tobacco and alcohol are cheaper than in the UK if you are after a bargain and there are some good shops selling Belgian chocolates and lace. There were some really nice places selling fruit and vegetables that were lovely to mooch around and people watch.

Wandering along the promenade in the sunshine was wonderful! We also enjoyed looking at some of the posh boats and yachts in the marina and looking at the fishing boats and the ships with rigging that were moored in the harbour. There is a North Sea Aquarium, some art galleries (the impressionist James Ensor came from Ostende), a museum, a stunning main square with water features and sculptures, a Gothic church and a casino (the Kursaal). Most visitors are there for the beach and to use Ostende as a base for exploring the surrounding cities and countryside.

Ostende is lovely and we had a really enjoyable stay there. It isn’t as pretty or interesting as Bruges or Ghent, but it is a nice place for a relaxing seaside break. It is ideally situated for getting around the area and was perfect for the kind of holiday we were wanting. My top tip is to get a map of the place from the train station (or print one off of the internet before you go) because some of the street names are little complicated!