| Page Views: 413 Last Visit to Oostende: September, 2008 I Visit Here Frequently | Mr Bean's Oostende Page by budapest8 - last update: Feb 12, 2009 |
An afternoon at the Belgian seaside | In ront of the cathedral in Oostende |
I have passed through many times and thought
as I have no pictures to put another
of someone you might
meet sunbathing
on the
beach.
TO BE UPDATED
Well dring my long weekend visit to Belgium I
decided instead of spending time in some
pokey hotel in Brussels, it would be nice to spend a few nights
in Brugge with a daytrip to Oostende which is only a
15 minute train ride from Brugge.
Coming from England and spending most of my
childhood by the sea, I had a strong urge to get a good
wiff of sea air and possibly even get a glimpse of
'ol Blighty and the 'White Cliffs of Dover'... |
| Oh I do love to be besides the seaside! |
|  | OOSTENDE : History
Info stolen and rearanged from wiki
15th to 18th century
The strategic position on the North Sea coast had many advantages for Oostende (or Ostend as we call it in English) as a harbour but also proved to be a source of constant trouble. The town was frequently taken, ravaged, ransacked and destroyed by conquering and roving armies, . The most recognized of these events was the 3 year Siege of Ostend between 1601 and 1604, with (on both sides) combined more than 80,000 dead or wounded. In their fight against the Spanish Empire during the Eighty Years' War, the Dutch rebels, the Geuzen, occupied the city.
After this era Ostend turned into a harbour of some importance. In 1722 the Dutch again closed off the entrance to the harbour of Antwerp, the Westerschelde. Therefore, Ostend rose in importance because the city provided an alternative exit to the sea. The Southern Netherlands (largely the territory of present Belgium) had become part of the Austrian Empire. The Austrian Emperor Charles VI granted the city the trade monopoly with Africa and the Far-East. The Oostendse Compagnie (the "Ostend trade company") was allowed to found colonies overseas. However, in 1727 the Oostendse Compagnie was forced to stop its activities because of Dutch and British pressure. The Netherlands and Britain would not allow competitors on the international trade level. Both nations regarded international trade as their privilege.
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A Belgian version of Bognor? | | |
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| Pros: | "The first taste of continental Europe when your coming from the UK" | | Cons: | "The weather is very `English` so head south !" |
budapest8's Oostende Travel Tips
 budapest8's Oostende Travelogues | | | |
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 Comments for budapest8 about Oostende | | | | |
willy_wonka Mon Dec 12, 2005 06:36 UTC
loooool! im having a good old larf here. mr bean is just sooo good looking! | irisbe Thu Nov 17, 2005 07:14 UTC
you have met some weird people on your trip to Oostende `-) |
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