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The bustling town of Oostende

– known as the ‘Queen of Seaside Resorts’ – is a holiday resort with nine kilometres of golden beaches, easily accessible from the shipping lanes of the English Channel.   Oostende’s cosy town centre is located at a mere 100 m from the cruise terminal, making it easy for passengers to explore the shops or also to take a stroll in the many refreshing parks.  If gastronomic delights are an attraction, there are plenty of fine restaurants to choose from serving both local seafood and continental dishes.  Oostende has a rich cultural heritage with many museums showing both ancient and modern art.  The famous Flemish artist James Ensor was born in the town and remained fascinated by the place and its people.  Visit some of the beautiful churches or perhaps the Open Air Atlantic Wall museum, which is set amongst the sand dunes of the former domain of Prince Karel at Raversijde. 

:: Iceland ship Amandine

In March 1998, the benevolent association ‘Maritieme Site Oostende’ (MSO) started the renovation of the last Iceland vessel, the ‘Amandine O.129. After the restoration in April 2000, the boat was transferred to a dry dock on the ‘Visserskaai’ in Oostende. The ship and its dock became an interactive ‘Iceland Museum’. ( http://www.museum-amandine.be/)

:: Earth Explorer

An exciting, educational voyage of discovery for all ages. This indoor attraction is based on the discovery of the four natural forces earth, wind, fire and water. Earth Explorer is an up-close and personal experience of what makes our amazing Earth tick, and what makes it roar, crack, erupt, tremble, howl, shudder, heave, freeze and boil. A more than interactive adventure among the fascinating natural forces. ( http://www.earthexplorer.be/ )

:: Fort Napoleon

The ‘Fort Napoleon’ is the only still completely intact Napoleonic fortress left in Europe. The ‘Fort’ stands in the dunes north of the city centre. In 1810 Napoleon Bonaparte, then Emperor of France, had it constructed during the French occupation op Belgium. After a restoration period of 5 years the building was made accessible to the large public. ( http://www.fortnapoleon.be/ )

:: Three-master Mercator

Down in the inner port, the gracious Mercator provides a fascinating insight into maritime history. The masts of this stylish three-masted barquentine towering above the surrounding pleasure yachts. This ship is a floating museum that is always ready to sail out on an expedition. The ship was built in 1931 and took part in several exotic expeditions, most of them of scientific nature. In 1936 the ship brought back to Belgium the remains of Father Damian, a Belgian priest who had dedicated his life to the plight of lepers in Molokai, Hawai, where he had died. ( http://www.zeilschip-mercator.be/ ).

:: 'Raversijde' Domain

This domain consists of three museums: the ‘Open-air Atlantic Wall museum’, ‘Walraversijde’ museum and the ‘Royal Estate of former King Leopold II of Belgium’. During the Second World War, the domain was part of the well-known ‘Atlantic Wall’ and now sixty constructions dating from both World Wars, interconnected by two kilometres of trenches and galleries have been restored looking exactly as sixty years ago. From April 1992 onwards the medieval fishing village Walraversijde has been excavated and offers a walking through four fisherman’s houses that have been rebuilt using the original medieval bricks of the village.

:: Saint Peter and Saint Paul's church

When visitors arrive in Oostende from the cruise terminal, their attention is immediately captured by the twin towers of the Saint Peter and Saint Paul’s church. This neo-gothic church (1904-1905), was built using sandstone. Inside the church is the mausoleum for Belgium’s first queen Louise-Marie who died in Oostende in 1850. ( http://www.oostende.be/ )

:: Thermae Palace Hotel

The hotel, together with the 390 m long royal galleries, is one of the most impressive and elegant constructions of the Belgian Coast.

:: Casino Oostende

The casino of Oostende was built in 1953 by architect Stijnen and is one of the largest casinos in Europe. The city council decided to renovate the building in 2003 and the works were finished in 2005.

:: Japanese garden Shin Kai Tei

This Japanese garden was created on the domain of the Royal Villa in Oostende. It is a walking garden in Kaiyushiki-style and was intended to strengthen the ties between Japan and Belgium. Oostende has a couple of large Japanese companies on its industrial estates.

:: Shopping centre

The shopping centre is located at a mere 500 metres from the Cruise quay. These pedestrian streets are traffic free which makes it pleasant to stroll and shop. In summer you can enjoy a concert at the bandstand on the central market place.

:: Cultural-hitorical cities of Belgium

The Cultural and historical cities of Belgium (Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp) are all within a range of 120 km of Oostende.     An extended tour by coach can be arranged to Bruges the medieval pearl of Flanders (1/2 hour drive by coach). A professional guide takes you for a pleasant and entertaining stroll round some of the most beautiful and interesting sights of the ‘Venice of the North’, such as Dijver, Rozendhoedkaai, Burg and Market, with visits to the Gothic Town Hall, the Beguinage, the church of our Lady, etc.    The city of Ghent  (1 hour by coach) is from a historical point of view very important and this heritage can be found in the largest number of medieval buildings of Belgium concentrated in one city.  Visit the Graslei, Belfry, Korenmarkt and guild houses with visits to the Cathedral of Saint Bavon, with its masterpiece ‘The Adoration of the Lamb’ and the 800 year old Castle of the Counts.   Brussels, the capital of Belgium and Europe, is only 1 ½ hours away by coach. Visit the historical heart of town, including the ‘Grand Place’ with Brussels town Hall and the famous Belgian statue, the ‘Manneken Pis’.

General information
Port	Oostende
Country	Belgium
Address	AG Port Oostende Slijkensesteenweg 2 8400 Oostende
Telephone	+32 (0) 59 34.07.11
Telefax	+32 (0) 59 34.07.10
E-mail	Info@portofoostende.be
Website	www.portofoostende.be
Emergency Telephone (24 hours)	+32 (0) 59 70.11.00
VHF channel call	9
VHF channel work	9
Operating hours	24 hours
Local Time (+/-GMT)	GMT+1
Does summer time apply?	Yes
If yes, between wich dates	Last wk March – last wk October
Languages generally spoken	Dutch, French, English, German …

Creation date : 09/04/2006 - 21:42
Last update : 06/10/2006 - 13:37
Category : Oostende
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