Belgian coast and Ostend

Low northern light bounces off striped beach huts while red buoys rattle in the wind. Between Ostend and Knokke-Heist, the shoreline strings together Belle Époque villas, small galleries, and cafés famous for North Sea shrimp. We glide along the Koninklijke Baan to the Ostend seawall, pass the postwar Kursaal (1953, Léon Stynen), then curve to De Haan with its protected Anglo-Norman villas. In Knokke-Zoute, the Zwin reserve hosts 300-plus bird species; spring brings avocets to the tidal flats. Lunch can be timed at Zeebrugge, right by the locks where trawlers return around 1 pm.

Practically speaking, it’s effortless: hotel pickup in Bruges, a Mercedes at your disposal, and your driver sets the pace. It’s 25 km to Ostend in about 35 minutes while he handles parking and access; you stroll, taste, explore. With a private chauffeur from Bruges along the Belgian coast, stops follow the tide and restaurant availability. Want a detour? He’ll swing by the Zwin, then Knokke for coffee on Van Bunnenplein, and bring you back without juggling Kusttram timetables.