A sandy beach with waves coming in to shore

Ostend

Visit Ostend for fine-sand beaches, a seaside esplanade and pier, with art museums, maritime sights and resort-era landmarks nearby.

Find a room in Ostend Start with the essentials Plan a trip to Ostend

We may earn a commission. It never decides our picks.

Ostend is a coastal city in West Flanders and the largest city on Belgium’s coast. Its fine-sand beaches, esplanade and pier draw day-trippers, with the heaviest crowds in July and August. Visitors arriving from inland Belgium and abroad often head to Klein Strand, the small beach beside the pier. Locals tend to use the larger beach, het Groot Strand. Near the port, small fish outlets sell seafood, and you can watch ferries dock. The car-free Vissersplein area has brasseries serving drinks outside, markets in side streets and summer music festivals.

Ostend’s sights include art museums, maritime history and landmarks from its years as a seaside resort. Mu.Zee covers modern art from the 1830s to today, with works by James Ensor, Leon Spilliaert, Constant Permeke and COBRA artists. The Mercator, a former training ship for Belgian merchant navy officers, is open to the public. The James Ensor museum is in the house where the painter lived from 1917 to 1949. Belgian kings Leopold I and Leopold II holidayed in Ostend; the Royal Galleries and Hippodrome Wellington date from that era. At Raversijde, the Atlantic Wall Open Air Museum preserves a section of the wartime fortifications near the beach.

Ostend in five

Go to Mu.ZEE at the Venetian GalleriesMu.ZEE's main building has been temporarily closed since January 2025. Its exhibitions run in the Venetian Galleries, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:30, so plan it for any day but Monday.Mu.ZEE
Allow 90 minutes for the James Ensor HouseThe house is open 10:00 to 18:00 and closed Mondays, except on Flemish public holidays and during Flemish school holidays. A normal ticket is listed at €14, and a visit takes about 1 to 1.5 hours.James Ensor House
Use the Coast Tram as a day lineOstend sits in the middle of the line, so stops east and west are a short ride away. De Lijn sells a 24-hour day ticket at €9 for ages 12 and up; the northwest guide lists frequencies and stops.Coast Tram stops
Take a direct train from BrusselsA beach day is workable on a direct train, but an overnight beats rushing for the last train home. Check the last return in the SNCB planner before you commit.Brussels
Eat the local shrimpThe Flemish coast is known for brown shrimp, shrimp croquettes and mussels. Croquettes make a light starter and mussels a main, with the harbor area the natural place to look.

Things to do in Ostend

See all attractions in Ostend

Sight · OstendThermae Palace

Antique world map showing continents and oceans

Museum · OstendMercator

Museum · OstendFort Napoleon

Free trip plannerPlan a trip to OstendPut the places you like in Ostend on a map, give them days, and let one button order each day. Free, with no account.Plan a trip

Need to know

Airport: Brussels Airport (BRU), then a train to Ostend
Getting there: Direct from Brussels, 1h15 average, 41 trains a day (SNCB)
Getting around: On foot, by bike, and on the Coast Tram
Best base: Near the seafront and station for a short stay
Time needed: 1 day; 2 with the Coast Tram

Weather by month

Rainy days

Best
Good
Mixed
Poor

JanuaryRain14 rainy daysHigh7°Low4°Cold, windy
FebruaryRain12 rainy daysHigh8°Low4°Cold, quiet
MarchRain13 rainy daysHigh10°Low5°Cool, breezy
AprilPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh12°Low7°Cool, spring
MayPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh16°Low10°Mild, quiet beach
JunePartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh19°Low14°Beach season
JulyPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh21°Low15°Beach, busy
AugustPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh21°Low16°Beach, busy
SeptemberRain12 rainy daysHigh19°Low14°Mild, calmer
OctoberRain15 rainy daysHigh16°Low11°Cool, rain
NovemberRain17 rainy daysHigh11°Low7°Cold, grey
DecemberRain15 rainy daysHigh9°Low5°Cold, lights

Average daily high and low in Ostend, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.

Right now in Ostend

Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.

Feels like: 6°
Humidity: 67%
Wind: 40 km/h
Chance of rain: 100%

Ostend

10:56 PM

Monday, November 2

GMT+1

Today13°9°100%Monday: Rain. High 13°, Low 9°. Chance of rain 100%.
Tue11°5°35%Tuesday: Drizzle. High 11°, Low 5°. Chance of rain 35%.
Wed10°3°2%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 10°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 2%.
Thu8°3°0%Thursday: Clear. High 8°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 0%.
Fri8°2°2%Friday: Cloudy. High 8°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 2%.
Sat11°4°12%Saturday: Drizzle. High 11°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 12%.
Sun10°5°15%Sunday: Drizzle. High 10°, Low 5°. Chance of rain 15%.

Updated 06:56 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com

Money

Mid-market rate1 USD = 0.8961 EUR

Amount

Converted to

EUR · Euro

Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API

What's on in Ostend

Concerts, festivals and big events in and around the city

Events calendar

Every year

JulGhent FestivitiesGhent, a day trip
AugMAfestival BruggeBruges, a day trip

Day trips by train

Before you go to Ostend

Trains to OstendDirect from BrusselsRead the guide

Seafront and center hotelsCompare rooms for a coast stayCheck availability

eSIM for OstendDe Lijn app for tram day ticketsRead the guide

Insurance for coast weatherRain days and travel disruptionRead the guide

We may earn a commission. It never decides our picks.

Rules for Ostend, checked

James Ensor House: normal ticket €14; open 10:00 to 18:00, closed Mondays except Flemish public holidays and school holidays; closed 1 January and 25 December.Checked Oct 2, 2026 · Source
De Lijn day ticket: €9 for ages 12 and up, €4.50 for ages 6 to 11; valid 24 hours on buses and trams once activated.Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source

Plan around Ostend

Northwest Belgium

The coast, the dunes and the Westhoek compared

Read the guide Bruges travel guide

Canals and the belfry, a short ride inland

Read the guide Ypres travel guide

Menin Gate, the Cloth Hall and the battlefields

Read the guide Ghent travel guide

Quays, the castle and a calmer old town

Read the guide Buying Belgian train tickets

Tickets for the Brussels to Ostend run

Read the guide All of Belgium

Add the coast to a Brussels and Bruges trip

Read the guide

Ostend FAQ

Is Ostend worth visiting?

Yes, for the beach, the Ensor House and the tram access to the rest of the coast. It is a resort rather than a medieval town, so pair it with Bruges or Ypres if you want old streets as well.

Is Ostend a good day trip from Brussels?

Yes: SNCB lists direct trains with an average of 1h15 and 41 trains a day. That leaves a full day for the beach, one museum and a meal, but check the last train back before you commit to an evening.

Ostend or Bruges: which should you pick?

Bruges for canals, the belfry and old streets; Ostend for the beach and the tram. If you have only one day, choose by the weather. Rain favors Bruges's indoor stops; sun favors Ostend.

Is the Mu.ZEE museum in Ostend open?

The museum's site says its main building is temporarily closed and that Mu.ZEE is open at the Venetian Galleries, Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:30. Check the exhibition dates before you go.

How do you explore the Belgian coast without a car?

Use the Coast Tram, which runs the length of the coast. A €9 day ticket covers 24 hours of buses and trams for ages 12 and up and can be bought in the De Lijn app.