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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Ostend

3 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Ostend, Belgium

Updated December 14, 2020

Unusual Attractions in Ostend

Ostend, Belgium

James Ensor House

The former home of a trailblazing surrealist is still filled with haunting dolls and grim paintings.

Ostend, Belgium

Walraversijde

Rediscovered in 1992, this abandoned medieval village once flourished by fishing and piracy.

Ostend, Belgium

Amandine Museum Ship

The last Oostende trawler to fish off Iceland is now a museum.

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Oostende, Belgium

Bow of HMS Vindictive

A piece of the front end of a British cruiser that was used as a block ship in World War I.

1 mile from Ostend

De Haan, Belgium

Sandworm

An undulating wicker beast looms peacefully atop a sand dune in Belgium.

8 miles from Ostend

Diksmuide, Belgium

Vladslo German Military Cemetery

Visitors to this Belgium graveyard are greeted by the grieving stone parents of the young men lost to war.

9 miles from Ostend

Nieuwpoort, Belgium

'Searching for Utopia'

A massive, gleaming sea turtle with a rider atop its shell looks out over the horizon.

9 miles from Ostend

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Fishing 2 Ships 1 Boats 1 Archaeology 1 Villages 1 Maritime History 1 Pirates 1 History & Culture 1

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