Brugge and the North Sea Coast Places

Oostende

A transportation and fishing center and an old-fashioned, slightly raffish resort, Oostende (pronounced ohstender in Flemish), otherwise known as Ostend in English and Ostende in French, leads a double life. It's the largest town and the oldest settlement on the coast, with a history going back to the 10th century. Long a pirates' hideout, Oostende has hosted many a famous rogue and adventurer, and it was from here that Crusaders also set sail for the Holy Land. In the early 17th century, when villagers backed the Protestant cause, Oostende withstood a Spanish siege for three years.

One of Continental Europe's first railways was built between Oostende and Mechelen in 1838, eventually resulting in regular mail packet services to Dover, England, beginning in 1846. (The town remains a favorite day-trip destination for Brits, who ferry across the sea to shop and enjoy the seafood.) A hundred years ago, the town was at its belle epoque height, with a boom of neoclassical buildings dripping with ornamentation. Elegantly dressed ladies shaded under parasols strolled along the Promenade on the arms of gents in spats. But during World War II many of the buildings were bombed; times changed; the glamour dimmed.

Although it might never quite relive its heyday, Oostende has regained much of its grandeur during recent years. Historic buildings have been embellished, dikes renewed, and there's been a revival of cultural activities.