If you want to know what Western Europe would have looked like if the Red Army had pressed on all the way to Flanders in 1945, look no further than the coastline of Belgium. Notoriously blighted by decades of unsympathetic development, the brutal ugliness that typifies the apartment blocks on the front in Ostend and along the coast still came as a surprise. The similarities with East German communist architecture are striking.
Post-war communist authorities were uniquely gifted at creating hideous blocks using only a mixture of concrete and bureaucracy. Weirdly, the Belgian government voluntarily developed a similar policy towards its own coast from the 1960s onwards. The result? Kilometer after kilometer of butt ugly tower blocks – some 30 stories high – some built with materials that would make even communist developers blush.
Ostend was once one of the most fashionable 19th century seaside resorts in Europe. Its villas and art Art Deco hotels attracted royalty and wealthy holidaymakers, the British in particular. I assumed that its elegant housing stock had been bombed during the war, but then I saw a video from 1947. Many buildings survived the war only to fall victim to peacetime policies that destroyed this unique heritage in favour of Stalinist eyesores.
One Belgian observer described it thus, “a trail of concrete desolation extends along the entire coastal strip”. It’s a tragedy made worse by the few old buildings that remain, like some native flora desperately trying to survive the onslaught of an invasive species. I’ve heard people only half joke that to enjoy this coast it’s best to keep your eyes on the ocean. They have a point, yet a recent weekend in Ostend was an absolute delight.
Even in the depths of winter with temperatures below freezing and beaches the preserve of dog walkers, Ostend is far more than just a seaside destination. It may not be pretty but it has life. It has also recently reinvented itself as a cultural hub. So long walks along the beach can be combined with good museums. We got lucky with the weather. Blue skies and sun were perfect for exploring the coast and town.
We came here because Ostend is celebrating its most famous son, the artist James Ensor, who died in the town 75 years ago – reason enough to book a hotel for the weekend. We were also keen to explore some of the other sights and the long history of the town. The huge concrete bunkers of the Atlantic Wall, built by the Germans to defend against the Allied invasion in 1944, point to Ostend as an historically strategic port.
We arrived on an early train from Brussels and first walked along the marina where the glorious 1930s sailing ship, the Mercator, is moored. Built in the Scottish port of Leith as a training ship for the Antwerp Maritime Academy, it was famously the ship that brought a 1935 Franco-Belgian expedition back from Easter Island. Its cargo included two looted Moai statues. One of which remains in the Musée du Cinquantenaire in Brussels.
The marina is a nice area, as is nearby Leopoldpark, with its statue of an heroic wartime dog. We wandered through the park until we found the old post office, De Grote Post, now a very smart cultural centre and cinema. We walked down to the ocean, past the row of ugly buildings along the seafront, to the harbour with its old wooden pier. In nearby Zeeheldenplein is an art installation, Rock Strangers by Arne Quinze. It’s even better at night.
We couldn’t yet check into the hotel so we hopped on the free ferry across the harbour. Here there is a string of Atlantic Wall defences and the remnants of a British naval ship, HMS Vindictive, sunk in the harbour in 1918 after participating in a raid on Zeebrugge during the First World War. The beach is a bit wilder and the development less intrusive, plus there are some sand dunes amongst which is a Napoleonic era fort.
We wandered along the beach for a while before heading back across to Ostend for a late lunch in a gastropub – there is a bit of a food scene happening in Ostend as well. Finally, we managed to check in and then it was time to visit the Ensor House…
This to me is the epitomy of Brel’s “Le plat pays” (qui est le mien…)
All well I hope?
All well, thanks Brian. I hope the same for you The city was invaded by tractors for a few days – as elsewhere in Europe – and proved beyond doubt that they are the only effective form of traffic calming in Brussels!
Haha. Good point. That or ollympic games. Looks like they’re going to shut a good chunk of paris off. Cheers Paul