From Nieuwpoort along the coast to Ostend

Visit two beautiful coastal towns in Belgium and get a breath of fresh air with the sound of the surf in the background. The route takes you from the town of Nieuwpoort to Ostend. Ostend's history goes back to the ninth century, when the first traces of habitation are found. Fishermen lived off what the sea had to offer them and shepherds herded their animals across the fields. In 814, the then tiny village was donated to the abbey of Sint-Bertinus in Sint-Omaars, but in 1267 the town of Ostend received its own city rights. Nevertheless, Ostend had no walls, fortresses or bulwarks to ward off enemies. In 1372 the city was fortified with palisades, but eventually the town lost to an indestructible enemy and residents had to give up a large part of Ostend to constant flooding and heavy storms. After a last, major flood, the city was largely moved in 1447 and Ostend came to lie further away from the sea. Nieuwpoort itself has a cozy old marina where beautiful yachts are anchored, but there are many more nice sights, such as the town hall built in the Flemish Renaissance style, a fish market, a historic lock complex that drains the polders (Ganzepoot) and several monuments and statues.