Ostend Travel Guide: Sustainable Shopping, Vegan Food and more!

Ostend has a special place in my heart. Ever since I was a toddler me, my parents and my sister went to Ostend on a little holiday every year. You might think I must know the city very well then. Unfortunately, it seems like we always did the same things (read: walking at the promenade and shopping) and never really explored the city. This summer I changed this mindset, and I explored Ostend as if it were the first time I was there!

Everyone who lives in Belgium has heard of Ostend. Still, tourists from abroad seem not to have found their way to this city yet. A shame, because it has so much to offer!

As I'm getting more into sustainability and eating vegan at restaurants, I thought this would be an amazing focus during this trip! I tried out some restaurants and visited thrift stores, but also just explored the city. On the hunt for the beauty that I had never paid attention to.

What to do

Watch the sunset on the beach

So many sunsets and I have seen so few of them. Especially seeing the sun slowly disappear in the sea is a special moment. Other than that, it's also free! If you're lucky, the sky will turn into a beautiful painting of different shades of orange, yellow and pink. Take the time to at least once during your stay unwind and watch this amazing spectacle. Use Google to find the time of the sunset and be 10 minutes earlier so you don't miss the beginning. Extra fun in summer: take a blanket, drinks and snacks with you and enjoy the sunset while chilling on the beach.

Go seal spotting

Seals at the North sea, crazy right? I didn't know these adorable animals lived there. Apparently they love sunbathing on the beach. An excellent opportunity to see them in the wild! Unfortunately, it isn't that easy. In Ostend, the seals often lay at the beach near the Rock Strangers artwork by Arne Quinze or near the Eastern palisade/Oosterstaketsel. You have to go early because they love the peace and quiet, but not too early because they want to lay in the sun. We went at 8 am in summer on a sunny morning and had no luck seeing them. As people were already walking their dog on the beach, we might have been too late. I guess it's a bit trial and error to find the perfect timing.

If you have the luck to see a seal, keep your distance! At least 20 meters so you don't scare them. If you have a dog, obviously keep it on a leash.

Visit Oosteroever/the East Bank and Fort Napoleon

Oosteroever is such a pretty and relatively undiscovered part of the city. You can take the free ferry at the Visserskaai and in 10 minutes you're from the hustle and bustle of the city in a much more quiet place. You can visit Fort Napoleon for example. I think this is a super interesting place to have at least visited once. They have changing expos. When we were there, there was an expo especially for children for example. To give you the necessary information to completely understand the story of this fort, you get a badge which automatically activates an audio guide when walking through the building.

From the roof of the fort, you have an amazing view of the sea and the dunes! You can just visit the roof as well as having a drink at the brasserie without paying for entrance.

The fort can be visited from 10h-18h from 01/04 till 11/11 and from 10h-17h from 12/11 till 31/03. It's closed on Mondays, except during Belgian holidays.

The entrance fee for adults is €9, for children between 6 and 12 years €7 and children younger than 6 years old are free!

Find more information and book your tickets here.

You can also just enjoy the peaceful beach at Oosteroever. The same beach as closer to the city centre, only a lot quieter! This beach is perfect if you want to relax, and don't mind not having any shops around you. There is one café where you can have a drink, but it's advisable to take everything with you that you might need. Buying last-minute some sunscreen isn't possible here.

Follow The Chrystal Ship Street Art Tour with Facebook Messenger

There is lots of street art in Ostend! You only need to open your eyes for it. Since 2015 there is the annual Chrystal Ship Art Festival in Ostend in the month of April. So every year there's new art in the streets! With this tour, you discover the best pieces with a Facebook messenger chatbot as your guide. We wanted to follow this tour on the last day of our visit, but unfortunately, the weather wasn't great so this is something we're definitely going to do if we go back! However, I couldn't find any information on how long this tour is and I think it's only available in Dutch.

Find more information about this tour here. (NL)

Visit the Museum ship Amandine

Amandine is just like the ship Mercator an old ship that got turned into a museum in Ostend. On the Amandine, fishermen went to Iceland to catch the best fish in the crystal clear water. Many of them didn't survive this trip. Now you can discover how these men lived and worked. A super special part of this ship is the back. There they have made a reconstruction of a street in Ostend! Including a shop, café and even a brothel! The ship can be visited every day from 10 am till 5pm. The entrance fee is €5 for adults, €3 for children between 4 and 12 years old and free for children younger than 3 years old!

Find more information about the ship here.

Discover the history of the city with a walking tour

I found this guided walking tour on Airbnb and it seems so interesting to discover the city in that way! The guide will show you the tourist spots as well as Ostend's hidden gems. As a local, he knows everything about the city and its history. If this interests you, this 90-minute walking tour is something for you! It's from 20 euros per person, available in Dutch and English and with a maximum of 8 persons so it's a nice and small group! This walking tour is on top of my list of things I want to do the next time I'm in Ostend!

Find more information and book this tour here.

Go on a day trip to Bruges!

Bruges is a must-visit city for a lot of people, and I get it! The beautiful little streets in the city centre are amazing to walk through. Besides that, there is a 'green belt' around Bruges. A big park actually where you can chill, run or walk. The best thing is that Bruges is only a 15-minute train ride away from Ostend! Going by train isn't only super easy (no worries about finding a place to park), it's also sustainable! You can buy your train ticket through the NMBS app which saves you some paper as well.

Find more information about taking the train to Bruges here.

Want to do something good for society on this day trip as well? Donate blood, plasma or platelets in the red cross donor centre! Unfortunately, this is only possible for Belgians. If you want to be sure you're allowed to donate, check the red cross website here!

Also, please don't take a horse-drawn carriage. It's horrible that animals are getting used for human enjoyment. Besides that, they're not taken good care of. We were sat on a terrace with a view on the horses. It was a super hot day, the horses were standing in full sunshine and did not get water after they were done with the tour. Some horses stood there for not even 10 minutes before they had to make their next 50-minute tour. Please don't support abuse like this and walk around in the city yourself.

Where to eat (vegan)

Le Touquet

This restaurant has become my favourite one in the city! First of all because it's located on the boulevard so you have a view on the sea when you're eating! Most importantly, they have a lot of vegan and gluten-free options! For the non-vegetarian of vegans, no worries because they also serve meat and fish. As a vegetarian or vegan you can eat your heart out here with dishes like seitan steak, vegan pasta, vegan croques etc. They're very open towards special diets, so no weird looks when you tell you're vegan. The good stuff doesn't end there, because they also use a lot of fairtrade products!

Their location is great, so the prices are a bit higher but still reasonable. It's also really easy to make a reservation on their website!

Mamacita

Not a restaurant, but a take-away place on the sea boulevard. The dishes are simple like salads, panini's, burgers, burritos, sandwiches etc. About every dish has a vegan option so plenty of choices! The food is delicious, healthy, but quite expensive for what you get. We paid for example for a quinoa salad €8 and a panini €6. The friendliness of the owners makes this all good though.

This place is very convenient if you're relaxing on the beach or walking on the boulevard! Be careful, because they are not open all day.

Have a look at their website here. (NL)

Cultuurcafé De Grote Post

A restaurant in the cultural centre of Ostend. The menu is a combination of classic and innovative dishes. The overall choice was limited. I don't know if this is always the case or just because of covid. When I was there, there were 3 vegetarian and 1 vegan option. The food was great, as well as their homemade lemonades which I can strongly recommend!

Be careful when it's hot because they don't have airconditioning!

Also here it's very easy to make a reservation on their website. (NL)

Where to shop

Pompoen

I must have walked by this thrift shop so many times without giving it any attention. It's located close to a very popular entrance to the sea boulevard. If you haven't been to a thrift shop before, or if you're not completely sure if second-hand clothes are as good as new ones, visit this store! The clothes they have are of great quality and they pick beautiful pieces that they display in a neat and tidy way. It's not your average thrift shop that sells everything they get, with or without stains.

Most of the clothes are for women, with a small section for children as well. The shop isn't very big. At the ground floor there are mostly shoes and kids clothes, in the basement is where the real magic happens with women's clothes. These are sorted on colour, which isn't my favourite way as I prefer to have sections on size.

A recommendation if you're looking for high-quality pre-loved clothes or shoes, or if you just want to sniff around the clothes.

Find their website here. (NL)

Oxfam World Shop

Fairtrade wine, juices, crisps and many more delicious goods are just a part of what they offer. You can also shop here for toys, purses, beauty products, zero waste products and a lot more fun stuff! I love looking around what they have. I think this is an amazing shop if you're looking for a present for someone, or for yourself! There are two of these shops in Ostend, so there is always one nearby.

The best part is that you support the charity with everything you buy, so treat yourself!

Local Market

Nothing cosier than strolling around a local market. The atmosphere, the smell, the range of products and supporting local businesses. What's not to like!

On Thursday and Saturday from 7 am till 1 pm you can buy delicious bread, pastry, vegetables, pancakes etc. on the Wapenplein and Groentemarkt. On Thursday the market is slightly bigger with also stalls on the Mijnplein!

Do you have green fingers or do you just want to treat someone with a bouquet? On Sunday from 9 am till 1 pm there is a flower market on the Wapenplein!

't Leeshuus

On top of my list of places I have to go to when I'm in Ostend again. This is a combination of a second-hand bookstore and a bar! You can just buy a book or have a drink here, or combine the two! That's not all, because the shop/bar is run by volunteers. Part of them are people with some vulnerability or disability. By guiding and supporting them in the work they do, they get a more active and valuable role in society!

Find their website here. (NL)

Where to stay

I was lucky enough to be able to stay in the second residence of my grandparents in Ostend. However, I looked up some amazing accommodations where I secretly would like to spend the night as well.

B&B Chambres d'O ~ €-€€

750 metres from the beach, a review score of 9,6 and a price of less than 100 euros per night in a double room with breakfast! It sounds like a dream come true, and it is!

Enjoy the luxury of the rooms, the garden and the personal service of the hosts. They only have two rooms: a double room and a family room for up to 4 people so you can imagine that your stay will be a lot more personal than when staying in a big hotel.

Also, this is one of the greenest accommodation choices in Ostend with only 3,5 kg CO2 emission on average per night!

Find more information and book your stay here.

C-Hotel Andromeda ~ €€-€€€

A 4-star hotel with the most amazing location, right at the beach! Hello room with sea view and terrace! Take a dive in the pool, relax in the jacuzzi, sweat at the gym or chill in the lounge, it's all possible here!

With a review score of 9, it's clear that this hotel is a favourite of a lot of people. Again a green choice as there is only 11,2 kg CO2 emission on average per night!

This hotel has 92 rooms. Prices vary as there are many room types to choose from, but breakfast is always included. Going from a basic double room to a deluxe suite. Also suitable for families as they have family rooms!

Find more information and book your stay here.

B&B Huyze Elimonica ~ €€

Feel like a king or queen during your stay here! This B&B has only 3 rooms so getting a personal service is guaranteed. All of these rooms have a classic and chic interior, which is even suitable for a royal stay. If you want it extra luxurious, you can spend the night in the suite! There are only rooms for a maximum of 2 persons.

600 metres from the beach, extensive breakfast and a library and garden where you can relax are just a few things this place has to offer. A green score as a night here has only an average emission of 8 kg CO2. That lots of people love this B&B is clear in the 9,5 review score!