# Ostend and De Haan The Belgian coast an hour and a quarter from Brussels by train: the beach and the Mercator in Ostend, Ensor's house, bunkers in the dunes and the villas of De Haan. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/ostend-and-de-haan · Revisado: 2026-11-12 The Belgian coast is an almost straight beach between France and the Netherlands, joined from end to end by a tram with 67 stops. Ostend is its city: a port with a wide beach right in the centre, the city of the painters James Ensor and Léon Spilliaert, a seafront promenade of early twentieth-century hotels and good fish. Twenty minutes away by tram, De Haan is the opposite: a village of belle époque villas among the dunes that escaped the apartment blocks. Together they make the seaside day from Brussels, and a very easy one- or two-night getaway without a car. ## How do you get there from Brussels? By train, about an hour and a quarter direct to Ostend station, via Ghent and Bruges. Outside, right in front, is the coast tram stop, which takes you to De Haan in about 20 minutes. By car, about an hour and a half on the E40, some 115 km. In summer the coastal car parks fill up; if you can, leave the car at the hotel and travel by tram. ## What to see in a day? In the morning, Ostend. From the marina, next to the station, go aboard the Mercator sailing ship, the three-masted training ship turned museum; then go into James Ensor's house, where the painter of masks lived until 1949, with interactive rooms. Go out to the seafront promenade and the beach and have North Sea fish at Café Mosselhuis or at the Café Du Parc, open every day. In the afternoon, the tram to De Haan. Stroll through the Concessie, the district of half-timbered villas among the dunes, and walk down to the De Haan promenade, much quieter than Ostend's. Take the tram back to Ostend station for the train. ## What about with one more night? With two days, add history: Fort Napoleon, in the dunes on the east side, with a sound tour and another for children, and the Atlantikwall Raversyde, to the west, where you walk through bunkers and trenches from the two world wars among the dunes, with a free nature park around them. If you are interested in the First World War, Ypres is less than an hour away by car, and Bruges, a quarter of an hour by train. ## Where to eat? In Ostend, Café Mosselhuis, by the Michelin-starred chef Willem Hiele, cooks what the boats bring in and is open on Sunday at lunchtime. The Café Du Parc, in an Art Deco building from 1929, serves from 7:30 to 22:00 every day. In De Haan, Villa Julia, in a belle époque villa beside the tram, has grey shrimp croquettes and sole; it is closed on Monday and Tuesday and from 18 November to 27 December. ## Where to stay? In Ostend, the Hotel Du Parc, a restored Art Deco hotel a hundred metres from the sea; the Rosa Hotel, with family rooms next to the beach, and the Hotel Burlington, opposite the harbour and a few minutes from the station, with a wellness centre. In De Haan, the Beach Hotel, on the seafront, is open from the end of March to the autumn. ## What about with a dog? The coast is one of the areas of Belgium that welcomes dogs best: from 1 October to 31 March they can go on Ostend beach without restrictions, and in season, early in the morning and at the end of the afternoon. In the Raversyde park there is a meadow where they can run free. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Bruges (a 18.3 km), Damme (a 21.7 km), Ypres (Ieper) (a 44.7 km), Ghent (a 56.5 km) ## Qué hacer - **The coast tram, from Ostend to De Haan** (20 min · All ages; suitable for pushchairs and folding bikes): The Kusttram, De Lijn's coast tram, runs along the whole Belgian coastline, from De Panne, by the French border, to Knokke, by the Dutch border, with 67 stops. It is the way to get around the coast without a car, and the stretch from Ostend to De Haan, with the dunes on one side, is one of the prettiest. How to use it It leaves from in front of Ostend station, so it connects directly with the Brussels train. It runs every 10, 15 or 20 minutes during the day, depending on the season, and every half hour at night. It takes about 20 minutes to De Haan. Tickets and day passes are bought on the De Lijn app and at its sales points. In 2026 there is work on the line and there may be delays. - **The De Haan Concessie, the belle époque villa quarter** (1 h 30 · All ages; quiet streets for pushchairs and bikes · Free): De Haan is the village on the Belgian coast that was saved from the apartment blocks. Its Concessie quarter is an early 20th-century stage set: Anglo-Norman style villas with timber framing, coloured roofs and gardens, scattered along curving streets among the dunes. Albert Einstein stayed in De Haan, and the tourist office remembers him on its routes. The walk Get off the tram at the De Haan stop, next to the tourist office, and follow the heritage route that crosses the Concessie to the seafront promenade. There are more than 100 km of walking and cycling routes through the woods and dunes around. - **The Mercator sailing ship, the training vessel in Ostend harbour** (45 min · Families with children and sea lovers · €8 · €7 students · €6 from age 6 to 14 · free under 6): The Mercator is a three-masted sailing ship designed by the polar explorer Adrien de Gerlache and built in Scotland. She was a training ship for the Belgian merchant navy: she had only two captains and made 41 voyages, and in 1956 she brought back the remains of Father Damien from Molokai. Since 1964 she has been moored in Ostend's marina, right in the centre, as a museum. The visit and prices You walk around the deck, the cabins and the holds with objects from her voyages. It costs €8, €7 for students, €6 from age 6 to 14 and is free under 6. In November it opens on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 17:00; for the rest of the year, check the days on its website. - **James Ensor's house** (1 h 15 · Adults and teenagers; there are interactive rooms · €14 · €6 from age 6 to 14 · free under 6): James Ensor, the painter of masks and carnival, lived and worked in this house on the Vlaanderenstraat until his death in 1949; he inherited it from an uncle. After his death the house was left intact and became a museum. Since 2020 it also has an experience centre with five interactive rooms: you bring his paintings to life, see his personal belongings and masks, his letters and photos, and finish in his lounge and his studio just as he left them. Tickets €14, €6 from age 6 to 14 and free under 6. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00; on Mondays only on public holidays and Flemish school holidays. It works with time slots: book online. - **Fort Napoleon, in the dunes of the east bank** (1 h · Families with children and adults · €9 · €7 from age 6 to 12 · free under 6): Fort Napoleon is a brick fortress that Napoleon ordered built in the dunes on the east bank of the port of Ostend. Today you visit it with a new tour in which the walls themselves "whisper" what happened inside over two centuries of history, with a version adapted for children. It has a tourist information point. Tickets and opening hours €9, €7 from age 6 to 12 and free under 6. In November 2026 it opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00; closed on 25 December. It is on the Vuurtorenweg, on the east bank, next to the lighthouse, across the harbour canal; you can get there by tram. - **Atlantikwall Raversyde, bunkers from two wars in the dunes** (2 h 30 · Teenagers and adults; children can do the park's treasure trail): In the dunes of Raversijde, west of Ostend, one of the best-preserved stretches of the Atlantikwall survives, the line of defence the Germans built along the coast in the Second World War, with bunkers, galleries and trenches, and remains from the First World War. You walk round it in the open air, with an audioguide, in about two and a half hours. The park Around it, the provincial estate is a free nature area, with a rescue centre for birds and wild animals, an open-air photo exhibition, a treasure trail for children from age 6, which you pick up at the Walrave café, and a meadow where dogs can run off the lead. Tickets and getting there Museum tickets are bought online; the last entry is an hour and 45 minutes before closing. It is at Nieuwpoortsesteenweg 636: take the coast tram to the Raversijde stop, or drive, about 6 km from the centre of Ostend. - **Ostend beach and seafront promenade** (1 h 30 · All ages; flat promenade for pushchairs and bikes · Free): Ostend has a wide beach of fine sand in front of the centre and a seafront promenade, the Zeedijk, with 20th-century buildings, the Venetian Galleries and the Wellington racecourse at the end. You can walk or cycle the whole length without any hills. With a dog From 1 October to 31 March dogs can be on the beach without restriction. In April, May, June and September, only before 10:00 and after 18:30; in July and August, before 10:00 and after 20:00. There are stretches where they are always allowed, on a lead: the "Little Beach" between the pier and the west breakwater, and between Raversijde and Middelkerke. ## Dónde comer - **Café Mosselhuis** (Restaurant, Ostend · centre, €€€). Qué pedir: the mussels or the catch of the day from the suggestions, which change according to what the boats bring in - **Café Du Parc** (Café, Ostend · Marie-Joséplein, €€). Qué pedir: lunch with local produce, or breakfast before catching the tram - **Bistro Villa Julia** (Restaurant, De Haan · Concessie, €€€). Qué pedir: the handmade grey shrimp croquettes, the fried soles or the free-range chicken vol-au-vent with sweetbreads ## By plane: Fly to Brussels or Charleroi and take the train to the coast Ostend has an airport (OST), but with hardly any scheduled flights from Spain. The usual way is to fly to Brussels-Zaventem (BRU), with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other cities, and continue by direct train to Ostend, in a little under two hours from the airport. From Charleroi (CRL) you have to go via Brussels. On the coast you don't need a car: the tram runs the whole length of it. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hotel Du Parc** (Hotel): The Hotel Du Parc is one of the last great Art Deco buildings on the Belgian coast: it was built in 1929 on the Marie-Joséplein, a hundred metres from Ostend's promenade, and was frequented by Albert Einstein, James Ensor and Arno. After a complete restoration in 2023 it keeps its Art Deco features and has renovated rooms with air conditioning, a lift and wifi. Eating without leaving On the ground floor, the Café Du Parc serves breakfast, lunch and aperitifs every day from 7:30 to 22:00. From the hotel to the station and the coast tram it is ten minutes on foot. - **Rosa Hotel** (Hotel): Rosa is a four-star hotel from the local C-Hotels chain on the Van Iseghemlaan, a short walk from the beach and the centre of Ostend. The rooms are simple and comfortable, with air conditioning and a fridge; there are family rooms, cots and high chairs, and some rooms have sea views. Breakfast is made with fresh, local produce. A sustainable hotel It reuses the filtered shower water for the toilet cisterns, and if you give up room cleaning it donates a lunch to a child at a nearby school. - **Hotel Burlington** (Hotel): The Burlington is on the Kapellestraat, Ostend's main shopping street, opposite the marina where the Mercator is moored. The beach, the promenade and the station are a few minutes' walk away, so it is a practical base if you arrive by train. What it offers Air-conditioned rooms, some of them family rooms; a bar and the Oport brasserie; buffet breakfast with local produce, and a private wellness area with a sauna, whirlpool bath and sun loungers. Enclosed bike parking. - **Beach Hotel – Auberge des Rois** (Small hotel): The Beach Hotel – Auberge des Rois is a family hotel on the De Haan seafront, open for fifteen years, with 22 rooms, suites and family suites. Most have a sea view, head-on or from the side, from the bed. It has a private sauna for guests and is a few minutes from the Concessie and the tram stop. Season It closes in winter: the 2027 season starts on 26 March. Book by phone or by email. ### Servicios - **Ostend station and the train from Brussels**: About 1 h 15 by direct train from Brussels · the coast tram leaves in front of the station ## Car-free: The coast by train and tram It is the easiest Belgian getaway without a car: a direct train from Brussels to Ostend and, at the station door, the coast tram to De Haan. Everything else on foot or by bike. Presupuesto orientativo: 90–170 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel Du Parc** (Hotel): The Hotel Du Parc is one of the last great Art Deco buildings on the Belgian coast: it was built in 1929 on the Marie-Joséplein, a hundred metres from Ostend's promenade, and was frequented by Albert Einstein, James Ensor and Arno. After a complete restoration in 2023 it keeps its Art Deco features and has renovated rooms with air conditioning, a lift and wifi. Eating without leaving On the ground floor, the Café Du Parc serves breakfast, lunch and aperitifs every day from 7:30 to 22:00. From the hotel to the station and the coast tram it is ten minutes on foot. - **Rosa Hotel** (Hotel): Rosa is a four-star hotel from the local C-Hotels chain on the Van Iseghemlaan, a short walk from the beach and the centre of Ostend. The rooms are simple and comfortable, with air conditioning and a fridge; there are family rooms, cots and high chairs, and some rooms have sea views. Breakfast is made with fresh, local produce. A sustainable hotel It reuses the filtered shower water for the toilet cisterns, and if you give up room cleaning it donates a lunch to a child at a nearby school. - **Hotel Burlington** (Hotel): The Burlington is on the Kapellestraat, Ostend's main shopping street, opposite the marina where the Mercator is moored. The beach, the promenade and the station are a few minutes' walk away, so it is a practical base if you arrive by train. What it offers Air-conditioned rooms, some of them family rooms; a bar and the Oport brasserie; buffet breakfast with local produce, and a private wellness area with a sauna, whirlpool bath and sun loungers. Enclosed bike parking. - **Beach Hotel – Auberge des Rois** (Small hotel): The Beach Hotel – Auberge des Rois is a family hotel on the De Haan seafront, open for fifteen years, with 22 rooms, suites and family suites. Most have a sea view, head-on or from the side, from the bed. It has a private sauna for guests and is a few minutes from the Concessie and the tram stop. Season It closes in winter: the 2027 season starts on 26 March. Book by phone or by email. ### Servicios - **Ostend station and the train from Brussels**: About 1 h 15 by direct train from Brussels · the coast tram leaves in front of the station ## As a family: The coast with children The coast is the easiest plan with children in Belgium: a wide beach, a tram that is an outing in itself, a three-masted ship to explore and a fort with a children's tour. ### What works best The coast tram, from Ostend to De Haan The Mercator sailing ship, free under 6 Fort Napoleon, with a tour for children Ostend's beach and the villas of the Concessie The treasure trail in the Raversyde park ### Where to stay Rosa Hotel, with family rooms and cots Beach Hotel De Haan, with family suites, in season ### Where to eat Café Du Parc, open every day from breakfast ### Worth knowing In winter you notice the sea wind: wrap them up warm There are lifeguards on the beach only in season ### Qué hacer as a family - The coast tram, from Ostend to De Haan - The De Haan Concessie, the belle époque villa quarter - The Mercator sailing ship, the training vessel in Ostend harbour - James Ensor's house - Fort Napoleon, in the dunes of the east bank - Atlantikwall Raversyde, bunkers from two wars in the dunes - Ostend beach and seafront promenade ## With young children: The coast with young children For the little ones, the Belgian coast is sand, trams and flat walks with a pushchair. You don't need a car or big plans. ### What works best Ostend's beach, wide and with fine sand The coast tram, which takes pushchairs The Mercator sailing ship, free under 6 Fort Napoleon, free under 6 A stroll through De Haan's Concessie ### Where to stay Rosa Hotel, with a cot and high chair ### Where to eat Café Du Parc, at any time of day ### Worth knowing The seafront promenade is flat and good for pushchairs Bring a windbreaker, even in summer ### Qué hacer with young children - The coast tram, from Ostend to De Haan - The De Haan Concessie, the belle époque villa quarter - The Mercator sailing ship, the training vessel in Ostend harbour - Fort Napoleon, in the dunes of the east bank - Ostend beach and seafront promenade ## With teenagers: The coast with teenagers With teenagers, the coast has history and a bit of independence: bunkers from two wars in the dunes, the house of the painter of masks and a tram to get around on their own. ### What works best Atlantikwall Raversyde, bunkers and trenches in the open air James Ensor's house, with interactive rooms, €6 up to age 14 Fort Napoleon Cycling through the De Haan dunes ### Where to stay Hotel Burlington, next to the station ### Where to eat Café Mosselhuis, mussels and North Sea fish ### Worth knowing Ensor's house runs on time slots: book ahead ### Qué hacer with teenagers - The coast tram, from Ostend to De Haan - The Mercator sailing ship, the training vessel in Ostend harbour - James Ensor's house - Fort Napoleon, in the dunes of the east bank - Atlantikwall Raversyde, bunkers from two wars in the dunes ## Consejos ### Tram day pass If you are going to go back and forth several times between Ostend and De Haan, it pays off. ### Windbreaker Even in summer, the wind blows on the promenade. ### Book Ensor's house It works with time slots and fills up at weekends. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take from Brussels to Ostend? About an hour and a quarter by direct train and an hour and a half by car. ### How do you get from Ostend to De Haan? On the coast tram, in about 20 minutes, from in front of the station. ### What is there to see in Ostend in a day? The Mercator, Ensor's house, the promenade and, in the afternoon, De Haan by tram. ### Can you take a dog to the beach? Yes: without restriction from October to March and, in season, first and last thing in the day. ### Is it worth going in winter? Yes, for walking and eating fish, but some hotels in De Haan close and the Mercator is open only at weekends.