Editing Ostend

{{Short description|Municipality in West Flanders, Belgium}}
{{Other uses}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name             = Ostend
|native_name      = {{ubl|{{native name|nl|Oostende}}|{{nativename|vls|Ostende}}}}
|namefr           = Ostende
|type             = city
|picture          = Albert-I-promenade-20040908-010.jpg
|picture-legend   = Promenade at Ostend seaside
|map              = Oostende West-Flanders Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Location of Ostend in [[West Flanders]]
|arms             = Wapen van Oostende.svg
|flag             = Afbeelding OostendeVlag.svg
|region           = {{BE-REG-FLE}}
|community        = {{BE-NL}}
|province         = {{BE-PROV-WV}}
|arrondissement   = [[Arrondissement of Ostend|Ostend]]
|coordinates      = {{coord|51|13|33|N|02|55|10|E|region:BE-VLG_type:city(71,000)|display=inline,title}}
|nis              = 35013
|pyramid-date     = 1 January 2006
|0–19             = 17.83
|20–64            = 56.88
|65               = 25.29
|foreigners       = 3.95
|foreigners-date  = 1 July 2005
|mayor            = [[John Crombez]] ([[Vooruit (political party)|Vooruit]])
|majority         = [[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|Open VLD]],  [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]],  [[Groen (political party)|Groen]], [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]]
|postal-codes     = 8400
|telephone-area   = 059
|web              = {{URL|https://www.oostende.be/}}
}}

'''Ostend''' ({{IPAc-en|ɒ|ˈ|s|t|ɛ|n|d}} {{respell|ost|END}}; {{langx|nl|Oostende}} {{IPA|nl|oːstˈɛndə||Nl-Oostende.ogg}} {{langx|vls|Ostende}}; {{langx|fr|Ostende}} {{IPA|fr|ɔstɑ̃d||Ostende-FR.wav}}; {{lit|East End}})<ref>{{Citation |last=Mangold |first=Max |year=2005 |title=Das Aussprachewörterbuch |publisher=Duden |isbn=9783411040667 |pages=598 and 603}}</ref> is a coastal [[City status in Belgium|city]] and [[Municipalities in Belgium|municipality]] in the [[Provinces of Belgium|province]] of [[West Flanders]] in the [[Flemish Region]] of [[Belgium]]. It comprises the boroughs of [[Mariakerke (West Flanders)|Mariakerke]], [[Raversijde]], Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast.

==History==

===Middle Ages===
In the [[Early Middle Ages]], Ostend was a small village built on the east-end ({{lang|nl|oost-einde}}) of an island (originally called [[Testerep]]) between the North Sea and a beach lake. Although small, the village rose to the status of "town" around 1265, when the inhabitants were allowed to hold a market and to build a market hall.

The major source of income for the inhabitants was fishing. The [[North Sea]] coastline has always been rather unstable due to the power of the water. In 1395 the inhabitants decided to build a new Ostend behind large [[Dike (construction)|dikes]] and further away from the always-threatening sea.

===15th–18th centuries===
[[File:Ostend, Belgium ; Ferraris Map.jpg|thumb|left|Ostend on the [[Ferraris map]] (around 1775)]]
[[Image:Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk (Oostende) 1-08-2024 13-43-45.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk|St Petrus and St Paulus Church]]]]

The strategic position on the North Sea coast had major advantages for Ostend as a harbour but also proved to be a source of trouble. The town was frequently taken, ravaged, ransacked and destroyed by conquering armies. The [[Dutch people|Dutch]] rebels, the [[Geuzen|Gueuzen]], took control of the town. The [[Siege of Ostend]], 1601 to 1604, of which it was said that "the Spanish assailed the unassailable and the Dutch defended the indefensible", cost a combined total of more than 80,000 dead or wounded, making it the single bloodiest battle of the [[Eighty Years' War]]. This shocking event set in motion negotiations that led to a truce several years later.  When the truce broke down, it became a [[Dunkirker]] base.

After this era, Ostend was turned into a harbour of some importance. In 1722, the Dutch again closed off the entrance to the world's biggest harbour of [[Antwerp]], the [[Westerschelde]]. Therefore, Ostend rose in importance because the town provided an alternative exit to the sea. The [[Southern Netherlands|Belgium Austriacum]] had become part of the [[Austrian Empire]]. The Austrian Emperor [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles VI]] granted the town the trade monopoly with Africa and the Far-East. The [[Oostendse Compagnie]] (Ostend trade company) was allowed to found colonies overseas. However, in 1727 the Oostendse Compagnie was forced to stop its activities because of Dutch and British pressure. The Netherlands and Britain would not allow competitors on the international trade level. Both nations regarded international trade as "their" privilege.

There was a [[Jewish community]] in Ostend, which was first noted in the 16th century.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ostend |url=https://jguideeurope.org/en/region/belgium/ostende/ |website=JGuide Europe |access-date=21 June 2024}}</ref>

===19th century===
On 19 September 1826, the local [[artillery magazine]] exploded. At least 20 people were killed and a further 200 injured. The affluent quarter of d'Hargras was levelled and scarcely a building in the city escaped damage. Disease followed the devastation leading to further deaths.<ref>''The Explosion at Ostend'', [[The Manchester Guardian and British Volunteer]], 30 September 1826</ref>

The harbour of Ostend continued to expand because the harbour dock, as well as the traffic connections with the hinterland, were improved. In 1838, a railway connection with [[Brussels]] was constructed. {{Citation needed|date=August 2017}} Ostend became a transit harbour to England in 1846 when the first ferry sailed to [[Dover]]. {{Citation needed|date=August 2017}}  An October 1854 meeting of American envoys led to the [[Ostend Manifesto]].<ref>[[David M. Potter|Potter, David M.]] and [[Don E. Fehrenbacher|Fehrenbacher, Don M.]] (1976), ''The Impending Crisis, 1848-1861'', reprint, n.d., New York: Harper Torchbooks, Ch.8, "The Ebb Tide of Manifest Destiny," p. 190.  {{ISBN|0-06-131929-5}} .</ref>   Important for the image of the town was the attention it started to receive from the Belgian kings [[Leopold I of Belgium|Leopold I]] and [[Leopold II of Belgium|Leopold II]]. Both monarchs liked to spend their holidays in Ostend. Important monuments and villas were built to please the Royal Family, including the [[Hippodrome Wellington]] horse racing track and the [[Royal Galleries of Ostend|Royal Galleries]]. The rest of aristocratic Belgium followed and soon Ostend became known as "the queen of the Belgian sea-side resorts".{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}

In 1866, Ostend was the venue for a crucial meeting of exiled Spanish Liberals and Republicans which laid the framework, the [[Pact of Ostend]], for a major uprising in their country, {{citation needed|date=August 2017}} culminating in Spain's [[Glorious Revolution (Spain)|Glorious Revolution]] two years later.

===20th century===
The two world wars proved to be disastrous for Ostend. The [[Belle Époque]]-era ended for the city in 1914 at the start of [[World War I]] when the Germans placed anti-aircraft batteries along [[Fort Napoleon, Ostend|Fort Napoleon]] and in the dunes along the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Duinenkerk. During the [[German invasion of Belgium (1914)|German invasion of Belgium]], Ostend along with [[Zeebrugge]] fell to the Germans without fighting on October 15,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Skinner |first1=Henry Terence |url=https://archive.org/details/principalevents100grea |title=History of the Great War Based on Official Documents. Principal Events, 1914–1918 |last2=Stacke |first2=Harry Fitz Maurice |date=1922 |publisher=H.M. Stationery Office |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/principalevents100grea/page/n435 19]}}</ref> after which they stationed German submarines and other light naval forces in the city for much of the duration of WWI. Near the end of the war, the British [[Royal Navy]] tried to block Ostend twice with a [[Blockade|naval blockade]]: the [[First Ostend Raid|first raid]] took place on 23 April 1918, the [[Second Ostend Raid|second raid]] on 9 May 1918.

Between the wars, the town hosted all of the [[Sailing at the 1920 Summer Olympics|sailing]] events for the [[1920 Summer Olympics]] for [[Antwerp]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/SAI/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417060243/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/SAI/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=1920 Summer Olympics sailing |publisher=Sports-reference.com |access-date=22 April 2011}}</ref> Only the finals of the [[12 foot dinghy]] took place in [[Amsterdam]]. Ostend also hosted the [[Polo at the 1920 Summer Olympics|polo]] events.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/POL/mens-polo.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418132515/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1920/POL/mens-polo.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=1920 Summer Olympics polo |publisher=Sports-reference.com |access-date=22 April 2011}}</ref>

Ostend was once again a target at the start of [[World War II]] by both the [[Axis powers|Axis]] and [[Allies of World War II|Allied powers]]. The city would face repeated bombing raids by the [[Luftwaffe]] during the [[German invasion of Belgium (1940)|German invasion of Belgium]] on 10 May 1940, destroying significant parts of the historic coastline in the process. As early as 13 and 15 May, German bombs fell in the evening and night around Fort Napoleon and the water tower in the Vuurtorenwijk. On the 17th of May more bombs were dropped, with the freight station on the Istanbul quay being hit as a result.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archief.oostende.be/product.aspx?id=15309/|title=De oorlog 1940-45 door Pierre Logghe, Kapitein Argentijnse diepzeevisserij: Deel 01. De vlucht|date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/365471.pdf|title=Oostende 1944-45, Britse oorlogshaven|date=1985}}</ref> Around this time, the fear that Ostend would be bombed heavily by the Luftwaffe started to form, prompting many to flee the city by boat to England or France.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archief.oostende.be/product.aspx?id=13510|title=Georges Claeys over zijn lotgevallen als Oostends vluchteling in Engeland: Deel 01. Dagboek|date=}}</ref> The 21st of May was the scene of another air raid on Ostend, causing big fires as a result. One of such fires was at ''Hotel Splendid'' on the corner of the Kemmelbergstraat.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archief.oostende.be/product.aspx?id=7835|title=verslag van Lt. Paul Berquin van het optreden der Brandweer van Nieuwpoort te Oostende gedurende de maand mei 1940|date=}}</ref> The beach hotel of Ostend was hit by three German bombs on the 24th of May. The hotel was used as a hospital and killed over 50 Belgian soldiers after a massive fire broke out.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pieterserrien.be/2010/10/11/bombardementen-in-belgie-tijdens-woii/|title=Bombardementen in België tijdens WOII|date=11 October 2010}}</ref> The next day, the 25th of May, another German bombing raid was carried out. At around 08:00 in the morning, [[Incendiary device|incindiary]] and [[Brisance|bisance]] bombs were dropped on the city, causing around 3 to 4 fires and killing 12 civilians as a result.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archief.oostende.be/product.aspx?id=7835|title=Verslag van Lt. Paul Berquin van het optreden der Brandweer van Nieuwpoort te Oostende gedurende de maand mei 1940|date=}}</ref> The last bombing raid on the 27th of May ended up completely destroying the city hall of Ostend at the [[Wapenplein]] as well as the city archive and paintings created by [[James Ensor]] and [[Léon Spilliaert]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2019/06/04/how-ostend-arose-from-the-ashes-of-the-second-world-war/|title=How Ostend rose from the ashes of the Second World War|date=6 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stretto.be/2020/01/20/vernieling-en-wederopbouw-oostende-1944-1958/|title=Vernieling en wederopbouw – Oostende 1944-1958|date=20 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://willydezutter.be/?tag=thomas-blake-jr/|title=Het portret van Auguste Wieland (1756-1833) door kunstschilder Emile Bulcke (1875-1963)|date=2 January 2023}}</ref> In total, the bombing raids between the 21st until the 27th of May caused over 75 deaths of civilians and soldiers in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pieterserrien.be/2015/05/21/duitse-bombardementen-op-belgie-tijdens-de-tweede-wereldoorlog/|title=Duitse bombardementen op België tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog|date=21 May 2015}}</ref> After the German bombings stopped in May 1940, Allied bombings started in June of that year. The [[Royal Air Force]] repeatedly targeted the city due to British fears that Germany would use the strategic coastal city for a [[Operation Sea Lion|German invasion of England]]. As a result, more civilians died and even more of the coastline and inner city, as well as the harbour, ended up being damaged or destroyed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/365471.pdf|title=Oostende 1944-45, Britse oorlogshaven|date=1985}}</ref>
[[File:Duitse machinegeweerstellingen voor het Kurhaus in Oostende, Bestanddeelnr 31040 011.tif|thumb|German machine gunner firing at Allied planes in front of the Kursaal in June 1940]]
After the successful invasion of Belgium and the occupation, the Germans decided to demolish the remnants of the Kursaal and build a bunker underneath its remains. They also decided to enact the massive [[Atlantic Wall]] in the city and heavily reinforced and defended it due to its strategic location.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2019/06/04/how-ostend-arose-from-the-ashes-of-the-second-world-war/|title=How Ostend rose from the ashes of the Second World War|date=6 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://oostende.org/nl/museum/9531/atlantikwall.html|title=Atlantikwall - Museum|date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indegazette.be/verborgen-geschiedenis-twee-oostendse-leraren-worden-spionnen-en-veranderen-de-geschiedenis-in-nieuw-boek/|title=Verborgen geschiedenis: Twee Oostendse leraren worden spionnen en veranderen de geschiedenis in nieuw boek|date=12 July 2024}}</ref> The city was liberated by Canadian troops on 8 September 1944.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/u739lj90|title='De oorlog heeft Oostende destijds zwaar getroffen'|date=3 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/365471.pdf|title=Oostende 1944-45, Britse oorlogshaven|date=1985}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/16305/oostende-new-communal-cemetery/#:~:text=From%20the%207th%20to%20the,and%20bombed%20by%20Allied%20airmen.|title=Oostende new communal cemetery|date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://appartement-met-zeezicht.be/oostende/erfgoedlocaties-oostende-tweede-wereldoorlog/|title=80 jaar na het einde van de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Bezoek deze erfgoedlocaties in Oostende|date=19 April 2025}}</ref> Ultimately, the many German and British raids on Ostend ended up destroying many historic houses as well as iconic buildings along the coast as well as in the inner city like the city hall, [[Casino Kursaal|Kursaal]], post office and [[Hippodrome Wellington]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/u739lj90|title='De oorlog heeft Oostende destijds zwaar getroffen'|date=3 May 2011}}</ref> No other Belgian city was bombed as often and faced as much destruction as Ostend: a whopping 407 Allied bombs were dropped on the city, making Ostend the most bombed city in Belgium.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indegazette.be/verborgen-geschiedenis-twee-oostendse-leraren-worden-spionnen-en-veranderen-de-geschiedenis-in-nieuw-boek/|title=Verborgen geschiedenis: Twee Oostendse leraren worden spionnen en veranderen de geschiedenis in nieuw boek|date=12 July 2024}}</ref> Because of this, many of the damaged houses and public buildings were left standing in the city for years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://appartement-met-zeezicht.be/oostende/erfgoedlocaties-oostende-tweede-wereldoorlog/|title=80 jaar na het einde van de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Bezoek deze erfgoedlocaties in Oostende|date=19 April 2025}}</ref> It was ultimately decided that the remnants of said buildings, such as civilian houses and luxury hotels, would be torn down instead of restored after the war and reconstructed with [[modernist architecture|modernist]] apartment blocs due to an increasing demand in these type of buildings from the tourist sector.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2019/06/04/how-ostend-arose-from-the-ashes-of-the-second-world-war/|title=How Ostend rose from the ashes of the Second World War|date=6 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stretto.be/2020/01/20/vernieling-en-wederopbouw-oostende-1944-1958/|title=Vernieling en wederopbouw – Oostende 1944-1958|date=20 January 2020}}</ref>

===21st century===
Ostend's Winter in the Park festival draws more than 600,000 people to the seaside city.  During December, Ostend's Christmas market, one of the largest in Europe, features vendors and food sellers along with ice skating, music and other events.  A light-show tunnel on one of the major shopping streets attracts and amuses visitors from all over Belgium, Europe and beyond.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://hetostendsnieuws.be/economie/toerisme-oostende/kerstvakantie-trok-600-000-mensen-naar-de-kust |title=Kerstvakantie trok 600.000 mensen naar de kust |date=6 January 2020}}</ref>

==Sights==
Ostend is known for its sea-side esplanade, including the [[Royal Galleries of Ostend]], pier, and fine-sand beaches. Ostend is visited by many day-trippers heading to the beaches, especially during July and August. Tourists from inland Belgium and from abroad mostly arrive by train (day trips) and head for the closest beach area, the ''Klein Strand'', located next to the pier. The locals and other residents in Belgium usually occupy the larger beach (het Groot Strand).

Near the beach is a well-preserved section of the fortified [[Atlantic Wall]], open to the public as the [[Atlantic Wall Open Air Museum]] located in [[Raversijde]]. One can walk through the streets around ''Het Vissersplein''. At certain times, there are markets in the neighbourhood streets and in the summer the ''Vissersplein'' has music festivals. The ''Vissersplein'' (''Bonenstraat''/''Kadzandstraat'') is a car free zone with many brasseries where patrons can sit outside and have a drink. Towards the port side there are many little fish outlets, and beyond that the ferries can be observed docking.

Notable sites include:

* the [[Casino]] and Fort Napoleon
* [[Oostende railway station]]
* The ''[[Mercator (ship)|Mercator]]'', the ex–training sailing ship for Belgian merchant navy officers, now open to the public to view
* [[Hippodrome Wellington]], [[horse racing]] venue
* [[St Petrus and St Paulus Church, Ostend]] (''[[Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk]]''), built in [[Neo Gothic]] style
* [[King Leopold II statue (Ostend)|King Leopold II statue]]
*Synagoge Oostende

{{wide image|Oostende panoramic view.jpg|1200px|Ostend beach and the promenade pier – panoramic view}}

==Museums==
The [[James Ensor]] museum can be visited in the house where the artist lived from 1917 until 1949.

The [[Mu.Zee]] (merged from the {{lang|nl|Provinciaal Museum voor de Moderne Kunst}} and the {{lang|nl|Museum voor Schone Kunsten}}) is the museum of modern art (from the 1830s to the present) and displays works of noted local painters such as [[James Ensor]], [[Leon Spilliaert]], [[Constant Permeke]] and the revolutionary post-war Belgian [[COBRA (avant-garde movement)|COBRA]] movement amongst others.

==Climate==
Ostend has a maritime temperate climate, influenced by winds from the North Sea, making summers cooler than inland Europe. 24-hour average temperatures below the freezing point is a rare occurrence.  According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Ostend has a [[marine west coast climate]], abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=70460&cityname=Oostende%2C+West+Flanders%2C+Belgium&units= |title=Climate Summary for Ostend, Belgium |publisher=Weatherbase.com |access-date=13 February 2014}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Ostend (1991–2020 normals, extremes since 1973)
|collapsed = 
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 14.0
|Feb record high C = 17.8
|Mar record high C = 23.7
|Apr record high C = 25.6
|May record high C = 31.8
|Jun record high C = 32.9
|Jul record high C = 37.8
|Aug record high C = 35.6
|Sep record high C = 32.1
|Oct record high C = 26.9
|Nov record high C = 19.2
|Dec record high C = 15.0
|year record high C = 37.8
|Jan avg record high C = 
|Feb avg record high C = 
|Mar avg record high C = 
|Apr avg record high C = 
|May avg record high C = 
|Jun avg record high C = 
|Jul avg record high C = 
|Aug avg record high C = 
|Sep avg record high C = 
|Oct avg record high C = 
|Nov avg record high C = 
|Dec avg record high C = 
|year avg record high C = 
|Jan high C = 6.8
|Feb high C = 7.5
|Mar high C = 10.2
|Apr high C = 13.5
|May high C = 16.6
|Jun high C = 19.3
|Jul high C = 21.5
|Aug high C = 21.9
|Sep high C = 19.3
|Oct high C = 15.1
|Nov high C = 10.5
|Dec high C = 7.3
|year high C = 
|Jan mean C = 4.1
|Feb mean C = 4.4
|Mar mean C = 6.5
|Apr mean C = 9.2
|May mean C = 12.6
|Jun mean C = 15.4
|Jul mean C = 17.4
|Aug mean C = 17.6
|Sep mean C = 15.0
|Oct mean C = 11.4
|Nov mean C = 7.6
|Dec mean C = 4.8
|year mean C = 
|Jan low C = 1.4
|Feb low C = 1.3
|Mar low C = 2.9
|Apr low C = 4.8
|May low C = 8.6
|Jun low C = 11.5
|Jul low C = 13.4
|Aug low C = 13.2
|Sep low C = 10.7
|Oct low C = 7.8
|Nov low C = 4.7
|Dec low C = 2.2
|year low C = 
|Jan avg record low C = 
|Feb avg record low C = 
|Mar avg record low C = 
|Apr avg record low C = 
|May avg record low C = 
|Jun avg record low C = 
|Jul avg record low C = 
|Aug avg record low C = 
|Sep avg record low C = 
|Oct avg record low C = 
|Nov avg record low C = 
|Dec avg record low C = 
|year avg record low C = 
|Jan record low C = -15.0
|Feb record low C = -12.3
|Mar record low C = -11.3
|Apr record low C = -4.9
|May record low C = -1.0
|Jun record low C = 2.6
|Jul record low C = 3.3
|Aug record low C = 5.0
|Sep record low C = 0.6
|Oct record low C = -5.4
|Nov record low C = -7.4
|Dec record low C = -11.0
|year record low C = -15.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 62.1
|Feb precipitation mm = 56.2
|Mar precipitation mm = 47.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 40.6
|May precipitation mm = 53.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 62.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 67.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 83.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 74.0
|Oct precipitation mm = 79.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 87.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 85.8
|year precipitation mm = 
|unit precipitation days = 1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 11.9
|Feb precipitation days = 10.5
|Mar precipitation days = 9.5
|Apr precipitation days = 8.3
|May precipitation days = 9.0
|Jun precipitation days = 9.0
|Jul precipitation days = 9.3
|Aug precipitation days = 9.7
|Sep precipitation days = 9.8
|Oct precipitation days = 12.1
|Nov precipitation days = 13.5
|Dec precipitation days = 13.7
|year precipitation days = 
|Jan sun = 66
|Feb sun = 86
|Mar sun = 144
|Apr sun = 206
|May sun = 230
|Jun sun = 232
|Jul sun = 238
|Aug sun = 223
|Sep sun = 171
|Oct sun = 121
|Nov sun = 68
|Dec sun = 54
|year sun = 
|source 1 = [[Royal Meteorological Institute]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.meteo.be/resources/climatology/climateCity/pdf/climate_INS35013_9120_nl.pdf|title=Klimaatstatistiek van de Belgische gemeenten|publisher=[[Royal Meteorological Institute]]|language=nl|access-date=19 October 2023}}</ref>
|source 2 = Infoclimat<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/normales-records/1991-2020/oostende/valeurs/06407.html|title=Normales et records climatologiques 1991-2020 à Oostende|publisher=Infoclimat|language=fr|access-date=19 October 2023}}</ref>
}}

==Transport==
[[Ostend–Bruges International Airport]] located 5&nbsp;km (3 miles) from Ostend is primarily a freight airport but offers passenger flights to leisure destinations in [[Southern Europe]] and Turkey. [[TUI fly Belgium]] has its headquarters in Ostend.<ref>"[https://www.jetairfly.com/pdf_docs/TRTO_en.pdf TUIfly Academy Brussels] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217003040/https://www.jetairfly.com/pdf_docs/TRTO_en.pdf |date=17 February 2012 }}." [[Jetairfly]]. Retrieved 23 October 2009.</ref> [[TAAG Angola Airlines]]'s Ostend offices are on the grounds of Ostend Airport.<ref>"[http://www.taag.com/en/taag-offices.aspx TAAG Offices] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100129223015/http://www.taag.com/en/taag-offices.aspx |date=29 January 2010 }}." [[TAAG Angola Airlines]]. Retrieved 23 January 2010.</ref>

The [[Ostend railway station]] is a major [[Transport hub|hub]] on the [[National Railway Company of Belgium]] network with frequent InterCity trains serving [[Brugge railway station]], [[Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station|Gent-Sint-Pieters]], [[Brussels South railway station|Brussels South]] and [[Liège-Guillemins railway station|Liège-Guillemins]] on [[Belgian railway line 50A]]. The [[Coast Tram (Belgium)|Coast Tram]] connects Ostend with [[De Panne]] to the south and [[Knokke-Heist]] in the north.

Ostend formerly had busy ferry routes to [[Dover]] and [[Ramsgate]], but the last of these services ended with the failure of [[TransEuropa Ferries]] in 2013.<ref>"[https://www.kentlive.news/transeuropa-ferries-suspend-services-ramsgate/story-18779363-detail/story.html]{{Dead link|date=April 2020|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}.". Retrieved 1 April 2017.</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center">
<!-- Add additional images only at Commons Category:Ostend, that's what Commons is for. -->
File:Casino Kursaal.jpg|Casino Kursaal
File:Ostend pier 20040908-002.jpg|Pier
File:20040909-003-oostende-mercator.jpg|Museum-ship, the barquentine [[Mercator (ship)|''Mercator'']]
File:Station Oostende Gebouw.jpg|[[Oostende railway station]]
Tramstation Oostende in 2009 2.jpg|Tram station
File:Watertoren Maria Hendrika park.JPG|Municipal park
File:Renbaan(07).jpg|[[Hippodrome Wellington]]
File:Peperbusse.jpg|The ''Peperbusse'', the tower of a burned down church
File:Vissershuisje Ostend.jpg|Fisherman's house from 1729 (Kapucijnenstraat)
File:Synagoge Oostende (55414).jpg|The Ostend Synagogue
</gallery>

==Twin towns – sister cities==
Ostend is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Internationaal|url=https://www.oostende.be/internationaal|website=oostende.be|publisher=Ostend|language=nl|access-date=2024-01-13}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|MCO}} [[Municipality of Monaco|Monaco]], Monaco (1958)
*{{flagicon|GAM}} [[Banjul]], Gambia (2003)
*{{flagicon|ARG}} [[Ostende, Buenos Aires|Ostende]], Argentina (2021)

==Notable residents==
References to these notable citizens of Ostend can be found on the oostende.be website.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archief.oostende.be/Alle%20biografie%C3%ABn/2534/default_archief.aspx?id=599&pg=1436 |title=Oostendse biografieën |publisher=Archief.oostende.be |access-date=13 February 2014 |archive-date=7 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110307072654/http://archief.oostende.be/Alle%20biografie%C3%ABn/2534/default_archief.aspx?id=599&pg=1436 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<!-- PLEASE RESPECT  ALPHABETICAL ORDER-->
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Lilian Baels]], princess
* [[Auguste Marie Francois Beernaert]], prime minister and [[Nobel Peace Prize]] recipient
* [[Alfred Belpaire]], locomotive engineer
* [[Gerard Brackx]], tourism
* [[John Crombez]], politician
* [[Cesar De Paepe]], syndicalist
* [[Celine Dept]], Social influencer
* [[Liza 'N' Eliaz]], hardcore DJ
* [[James Ensor]], painter
* [[Jelle Florizoone]], actor
* [[Marvin Gaye]], musician
* [[Johannes Gysius]], historian<ref name=Kranenborg>{{cite web |last=Kranenborg |first=J.B. |title=Ancestors of Cornelis Leendert de Groot |url=https://www.kranenborg.info/cgrootkw/a9.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050503062356/http://www.kranenborg.info/cgrootkw/a9.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=3 May 2005 |work=Ninth Generation |access-date=25 August 2013 }}</ref>
* [[Arno Hintjens]], lead singer of [[TC Matic]]
* [[Karel Jonckheere]], writer
* [[Mimi Lamote]], businesswoman
* [[Stefaan Maene]], backstroke swimmer
* [[Hubert Minnebo]], sculptor
* [[Marie-José of Belgium]], princess, then last queen of Italy
* [[Divock Origi]], footballer (born here but grew up elsewhere)
* [[Louise of Orléans]], first [[queen of the Belgians]]
* [[Constant Permeke]], expressionist painter
* [[Roger Remaut]], painter
* [[Raoul Servais]], filmmaker
* [[Gustaaf Sorel]], painter
* [[Leon Spilliaert]], painter
* [[Henri Storck]], author, filmmaker, and documentarian
* [[Robert Triffin]], economist
* [[Robert Van De Walle]], judoka
* [[Bart van den Bossche]], singer, actor, and radio/TV presenter
* Peter Van Heirseele ([[Herr Seele]]), cartoonist (''[[Cowboy Henk]]''), painter and performer
* [[Johan Vande Lanotte]], politician
* [[Julie Vanloo]], [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]] point guard
* [[Rudolf Vanmoerkerke]], businessman
* [[Katrien Vermeire]], artist
}}

==Sport clubs==
* [[BC Oostende]] (basketball)
* [[Hermes Volley Oostende]] (volleyball)
* [[K.V. Oostende]] ([[association football|football]])
* [[Wellington Golf Oostende]] (golf)

==In popular culture==
Ostend has been used as a film location by numerous directors. The movies ''[[Place Vendôme (film)|Place Vendôme]]'' with [[Catherine Deneuve]]; ''[[Daughters of Darkness]]''<ref>{{IMDb title|qid=Q631568|title=Daughters of Darkness}}</ref> with [[Delphine Seyrig]] as [[Countess Bathory]]; ''[[Armaguedon]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://french.imdb.com/title/tt0074153/combined |title=Armaguedon |publisher=French.imdb.com |date=1 May 2009 |access-date=22 April 2011 |archive-date=12 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312095725/http://french.imdb.com/title/tt0074153/combined |url-status=dead }}</ref> with [[Alain Delon]]; ''[[Camping Cosmos]]'' with [[Lolo Ferrari]]; and ''[[Ex Drummer]]'', based on the novel by [[Herman Brusselmans]]; were partially shot in Ostend.

The comic ''{{Interlanguage link|Le Bal du rat mort|fr}}'', about a dreadful invasion of rats, is set in Ostend.

==See also==
* [[Greenbridge science park]]
* [[Ostend Manifesto]]
* [[Port of Ostend]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Hendy |first1=John |title=The Dover–Ostend Line |date=1991 |publisher=Ferry Publications |location=Staplehurst, Kent |isbn=095135065X}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Pattheeuws |first1=Stephen |title=The Ostend Ferry: From Start to Finish |date=2015 |publisher=Ferry Publications |location=Ramsey, Isle of Man |isbn=9781906608804}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Ostend}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Ostend |volume=20 |short=x}}
* {{Official website|https://www.oostende.be}} {{in lang|nl}}, limited information available in French, English and German.
* [https://www.toerisme-oostende.be/default.asp?LanguageCode=E Toerisme Oostende – English edition – extensive] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060209212452/http://www.toerisme-oostende.be/default.asp?LanguageCode=E |date=9 February 2006 }}.

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Ostend
|North     = ''[[North Sea]]''
|East      = [[Bredene]], [[De Haan, Belgium|De Haan]]
|Southeast = [[Oudenburg]]
|South     = [[Gistel]]
|Southwest = [[Middelkerke]]
|West      = ''[[North Sea]]''
}}
{{Bct}}
{{Municipalities in West Flanders}}
{{1920 Summer Olympic venues}}
{{Olympic venues sailing}}
{{Olympic venues discontinued events}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ostend| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of West Flanders]]
[[Category:Olympic sailing venues]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Belgium]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in Belgium]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns of the North Sea]]
[[Category:Ports and harbours of the English Channel]]
[[Category:Seaside resorts in Belgium]]
[[Category:Venues of the 1920 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic polo venues]]