Agenda: sight, james ensor and walking and cycling in Ostend
Ensor Dreams of mother-of-pearl
This new Ensor presentation consists almost exclusively of paintings and drawings from the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp. With 38 paintings and some 650 drawings, the museum not only has the largest, but also the very best Ensor collection.
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The Crystal Ship 2020
The Crystal Ship is a contemporary art festival that specializes in public space producing different installations, sculptures and murals each year. Discover “The Crystal Ship” in Ostend: renowned and world-famous artists made enormous paintings on walls as well as fantastic art installations in open spaces. All artworks remain permanently in the public domain and can be visited freely.
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Het Groen Lint
Ostend has more to offer than just the sea. Did you know that Ostend has a surprisingly green city edge? To strengthen that green city edge, the City had a master plan developed to connect all green zones and landscapes: The Green Ribbon. This green ribbon forms an attractive 35 km loop for cyclists and walkers, connecting 15 existing and new green areas in the city outskirts, exactly like a necklace with 15 beads.
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Dikke Mathille
The Leopold II-laan curves gracefully around the most famous sculpture of a woman in Oostende: De Zee (The Sea). Although Reclining Nude is another name for this lady the locals always refer to her as ‘Dikke Mathille’ (Fat Mathille). Grard emphasised the volume of the full, round forms. In De Zee he portrayed the opulence and sensuality of the sea in a female figure. Until 1963 the work of art adorned the Kursaal Casino.
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Railway station Oostende
Eclectic station complex consisting of a central entrance hall flanked by two square "Tower buildings". On the left side adjacent to the station the former "Hotel Terminus Maritime".
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Marvin Gaye Midnight Love Tour
14 February 1981. Marvin Gaye arrives by ferry in Ostend, together with his little boy, Bubby. It marks the start of a fascinating story about Ostend, Marvin Gaye and the relationship between the two. ...
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Digital Walk: Ostend during the Great War
We use the diary of Charles Castelein, who was a 52-year-old tram worker in 1914, as a guide. See the war years of Oostende through the eyes of a local inhabitant. You complete the walk at your own pace with the help of an audio guide with screen. ...
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City Farm Route
A bracing tour through the countryside around Ostend. Not everybody is familiar with Ostend's agricultural history. During this tour you can explore what's left of the farmland around Ostend in a recreational manner. You can go get you free walking map at the Ostend Tourist Office (Monacoplein 2). Enjoy your walk!
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Sint-Petrus- en Sint-Paulus Church
The church St.-Petrus- and Paulus is a neogotic church built in 1907 which consists of beautiful stained-glass windows. The tomb of Louise-Marie, the queen of Belgium who deceased in Oostende, is situated in the chapel of the main altar (only to be visited upon request). The St.-Pieter's Tower, also called 'Peperbusse' in local dialect, is situated behind the church St. Petrus- and Paulus. Once it was part of the ancient St. Pieterskerk that burned down last century.
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Lighthouse Lange Nelle
Lighthouse "Lange Nelle" : The famous lighthouse is the fourth one in the history of Oostende and the third one on this location. It was built between 1947 and 1949, rises 65 metres above the sea and guides the fishermen safely in the Ostend harbour. The lighthouse is not open to the public.
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