Oostende

Ostend, on Belgium's North Sea coast, is the country's largest seaside town and has been an important port since the Middle Ages. Its long promenade, lined with hotels and residential buildings, offers open sea views, while the sandy beach stretches for several kilometres. The town is closely linked to painter James Ensor, who spent most of his life there and whose work is displayed at the Mu.ZEE museum of modern and contemporary art. The harbour is home to the Mercator, a former training ship now open to visitors, along with facilities tied to fishing and maritime trade. The Venetian Galleries, a covered walkway along the seafront, shelter strollers and café terraces from the weather. Local cuisine centres on seafood, particularly grey shrimp and fresh fish sold at the Vismijn fish market. Ostend also has a casino and Fort Napoleon, a remnant of the coastal fortifications. Well connected by rail from Brussels, the town serves as a convenient base for exploring the Belgian coast, its sea dykes and neighbouring resort towns.