In Ostend you'll never get bored! Ostend is a city of all seasons where something is always happening, come rain or shine. This is the only real coastal city. lts many strengths and sights have a rich history: there is the seaport, the marina, the international airport, the many hotels, the biggest casino of Belgium, the scientific theme park Earth Explorer, three-master Mercator, Fort Napoleon, Domain Raversijde, the Japanese Garden, the James Ensor house and the Mu.ZEE, the renewed museum by the sea.

At Earth Explorer you can experiment with the elements of nature. Interactive do-activities in four lifelike simulators allow you to defy earthquakes, dives in the ocean, volcanic eruptions and tornadoes. In Earth Live, the nerve centre, you can follow all natural disasters live via satellite.

For people who enjoy natural beauty in real life, Domein Raversijde between Ostend and Middelkerke is an absolute must! It covers an area of 50 hectares. Apart from the archaeological Walraversijde site, the Atlantikwall and the Memorial Prince Karel, you can stroll around the park with its amazing ponds or be active in the recreational part. Another perfect place to walk is the Japanese 'Shin Kat Tei' garden in the Koningspark in Ostend. Freely translated it means 'Deep Sea Garden'. The beautiful pond in the form of a tortoise is the heart of this garden.

And what would Ostend be without the Mercator? The ship is anchored here and its authentic interior lends itself perfectly for a nautical museum. It is a floating treasure trove of objects collected during its long journeys. Mercator regularly sets off to take part in big sailing events.

Ostend organises several cultural events as well: Theatre by the Sea is held here as well as a film and comic strip festival. During the Beaufort Inside exposition in the revamped Mu.ZEE the great masters of yore, such as Jean Brusselmans, Léon Spilliaert, James Ensor and Constant Permeke meet their contemporary artistic soul mater such as Lili Dujourie and Jan Vercruysse. To fathom James Ensor you at least need to have visited his house once; and in Ostend you can do just that. The display cases at the James Ensor House are full of weird, bizarre and surprising objects that typify this artist's life. The best way to discover Ostend's many attractions and museums is with the 'Oostendse Stadspas'. It will make your visit to this coastal city easier, and more importantly, cheaper. This pass provides access to eight or nine attractions, at more or less half price and is valid for a year. You can take your time and visit them all.

Ostend's nightlife is bustling. You can shop tilt you drop in the well known Kapellestraat, the Adolf Buylstraat, the Alfons Pieterslaan and the Feest- and Kultuurpaleis on the Wapenplein, a big shopping centre. The sea promenade is great for walks and the Graaf De Smet de Naeyerlaan was converted into a nice-looking 'ramblas'-like area. The Visserskaai has allo been revamped. The Vissersplein is the pace to be for outdoor cafes and a refreshing drink in spring and summer.

As you can tell, in Ostend you won't be bored.

source: cityzine.be