Christmas holiday by the sea in Ostend: the quiet coast at its best

What makes Ostend special at Christmas?

The Christmas market on the Wapenplein: Ostend has a cosy Christmas market with local stalls, hot chocolate, crafts, and lights. Smaller and more intimate than the mass Christmas markets in Brussels or Antwerp. Fresh oysters at the Visserskaai: the Christmas period is oyster season par excellence. On Saturday mornings the Visserskaai sells fresh oysters straight from the fishermen. A dozen for three euros, eaten on the quayside with a glass of Sancerre. The wild winter beach: a winter storm on the Belgian coast is a spectacle. Waves 3 to 4 metres high, salt water splashing over the promenade, the raw power of the North Sea. Walk on the storm beach and feel how small you are. Quiet and space: no traffic jams on the coast, no parking problems, no queues. The coastal tram runs, the shops are open, the restaurants are calm. The Belgian coast in winter is for those who love stillness. New Year's Eve: Ostend celebrates New Year with fireworks over the North Sea. From our apartment on the 16th floor you have a frontal view of the fireworks.