Ostend
Ostend is situated on the North Sea coast, approximately midway along the 40-mile Belgian coastline. It was once the summer residence of the Belgian Royal Court and was therefore known as the “Queen of the Coastal Towns”. Nowadays the Royal Court only visits Ostend on official occasions.
Ostend is the only Belgian coastal resort that is as lively in the summer as in the winter. Culture, sport or gastronomy: in short, there’s a huge variety of things to choose from.
Ostend typically comes alive at night with its many bars, restaurants, etc. You will find several English pubs with organ music and live performers. Ostend is the carnival city of the Belgian coast.
It is possible to take a tour around the city in a specially built mini-train or by horse-drawn carriage. The coach-drivers are very helpful in explaining the places of interest and sights.
During the summer there is the annual jazz pub-tour. All the pubs participating in the tour have live music (jazz, blues, pop, rock, etc.) You can get from one pub to another on foot or by special coaches, horse-drawn carriages or trains and enjoy all sorts of different musical styles.
