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Just opposite, the Wellington Racecourse. Opened in 1883, most of the current buildings date from 1947-1962. The whole site is protected.

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Main entrance.

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Although classified, the whole is rather in bad condition.

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Just behind, the tribune reserved for VIP (supposition).

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On the beach, the impeccable alignment of the cabins.

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Former bath palace, transformed into a luxury hotel.

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After the ancient baths, the Royal Villa and the Ostend dike, dominated by the Europacentrum, higher (and ugly) building of the Belgian coast (100 meters height).

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And to finish this overview, the casino.

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The old baths, designed by architect Daniels in 1933, on the will of King Leopold II.

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Closed in the 80's due to old age, they were almost demolished. The reconvention in a hotel has finally decided otherwise.

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The Royal Gallery, built in 1902, completed later by the baths.

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The royal villa, rebuilt in 1953 after the damage caused by the Second World War, returned to civilian life in 2004.

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The Middelkerke dike seen from Ostend.

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Equestrian statue of King Leopold II.

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Another covered gallery, this time in front of the royal villa.

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The Royal Gallery in its entirety. It runs along the beach for 380 meters.

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Monogram of King Leopold II, affixed on the buildings of which it is at the origin.

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Less solemn than that of his ancestor, the statue of Baudouin. As a simple citizen.

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The villas Yvonne and Simone, survivors of the Belle Epoque.

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Another survivor stuck between two bunkers.

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Destructive madness seems less pronounced in Ostend than elsewhere.

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The casino of Ostend. Opened in 1878, it's the largest in Belgium.

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Ravaged by the Second World War, it was completely rebuilt in 1953.

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The very "Stalinist" facade of the casino.

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The Museum of Fine Arts, rebuilt after the last war, on the Wapenplein. The belfry houses a carillon.

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Of the old Sint-Pieters church, there remains only this tower of the 15th-16th centuries. The rest of the building has been destroyed by fire in 1896.

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Close up on the upper floors.

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Next door is a new church dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. At its end, the mausoleum of Louise-Marie, first queen of the Belgians.

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Monument to the honor of the royal couple Albert and Elisabeth.

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The main church of Ostend is a perfect summary of Gothic revival architecture, popular in the late nineteenth century.

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Built between 1899 and 1905, it looks like a cathedral. Wanted by King Leopold II and designed by Louis Delacenserie µ from Bruges, who is also architect of Antwerp Central Station.

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Now, let's go to the docks.

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The fish market at the entrance to the marina.

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Ostend Station, formerly known as Oostend-Kaai. It allowed direct sea connection with England.

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The site of the old station Oostende-Stad, demolished in 1956 and replaced by a supermarket. The two stations were only a few hundred meters apart.

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As is often the case on the Belgian coast, the old monuments find it difficult to resist the demolition. Here, Notre Dame college.

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The Mercator, named in honor of the famous geographer Gerardus Mercator (1512-1594).

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Three-masted barque built in 1932, it served as a training ship until 1961. During his career, it sailed around the world.

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Since its decommissioning, it's visited each year by nearly 130,000 people.

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Brussels in Ostend. We try to camouflage a shit of concrete by an old facade.

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The Belgian-Dutch naval military school.

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The Maria-Hendrik Park, the largest in the city and a paradise for birds.

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The new water tower, built in 1963...

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... and its predecessor.

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71 meters high, it should have included a restaurant at the top. Aborted project.

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The only vestige of the old station Oostende-Stad, the water tower built in 1900. Unused since the commissioning of the new water tower.

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One of the caryatids of the ancient villa Doris, destroyed during the Second World War.

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The national motto, forgotten for too long.

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We leave the park and we come back to town.

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City Hall adorned with communal colors.

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Last return to the docks to say hello to the seagulls...

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One of the jetties of the channel of Ostend. Its end is occupied by a restaurant.

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Opposition of styles.

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The fine sand beach stretches for kilometers.

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Zeebrugge in the distance.

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The Europacentrum. Its ground floor is occupied by a shopping mall more than creepy.

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At the end of the pier.

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A flying fish !

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The sky is covering, it's time to go back.

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This sailor has the same idea as me.

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The end of the day is coming... like the end of the summer.

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Bye bye Ostend.