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OOSTENDE
(Ostend) |
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GENERAL Oostende (Home) History Info on Belgium SIGHTSEEING Royal Oostende Fish Monuments The Harbor Museums Tourist Attractions
EXTERNAL LINKS
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 The city of Oostende, protected from the North Sea by a network of dikes, is the largest population center on the Belgian coast, with 67,000 residents. Oostende received a city charter in the 13th century, though it is unclear how much earlier the site had originally been settled; at the time it was a small fishing village. Plagued throughout its history by a constant onslaught from seaborne invaders, it was the decision by the first two Belgian Kings, Leopold I and Leopold II, to spend their summers in Oostende that raised the town's fortunes and transformed it into a fashionable 19th century resort. Sadly, in the twentieth century, destruction came again, this time in the form of World War II aerial bombardment. Modern Oostende is a transportation hub and resort town. |
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