In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Ostend is 13 to 14 minutes from Brugge by direct Intercity train, with two to three an hour. The visit is built on museums: the James Ensor House (€14), Mu.ZEE (€12) in the Venetian Galleries on the seafront, the sailing ship Mercator (€8) and Fort Napoleon (€9). De Lijn’s Kusttram runs along the coast for a €3 ticket. Or book a tour: the museums sell their own tickets, so the one bookable activity is the Ostend Brewery Tour with 3 Beer Tastings and Snack Platead (from €40, 4.6 stars from 8 reviews). Ghent and Ypres are in day trips from Bruges.
⚠️ Most Ostend museums close on Mondays. Mu.ZEE and the Mercator are shut every Monday. The James Ensor House and Fort Napoleon are shut on Mondays unless it is a Flemish public holiday or school holiday. Visit Oostende’s calendar also shows Fort Napoleon closed from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November 2026, so check it before you go in the colder months.
Getting from Bruges to Ostend
| Detail | Brugge to Oostende |
|---|---|
| Train | Intercity, 13 to 14 minutes, two to three an hour |
| Fare | Set by distance and shown in the SNCB app or at belgiantrain.be before you pay |
| Coast tram | De Lijn Kusttram, 67 stops, every 10, 15 or 20 minutes in the daytime depending on the period and every 30 minutes in the evening. A single ticket costs €3 and is valid for 60 minutes |
Take the train from Brugge station, not Brugge-Sint-Pieters. The Mercator is moored in the marina between the station and the town hall. Two shows have end dates: Mu.ZEE’s current exhibition runs to 3 January 2027, and the Ensor House’s to 10 January 2027.
A sensible order
The Ensor House and Mu.ZEE both open at 10:00, so start with the house, which takes 1 to 1.5 hours, then walk to the Venetian Galleries on the seafront. The Mercator closes at 17:00 and Mu.ZEE at 17:30, so see the ship before the late afternoon, and keep Fort Napoleon, which closes at 18:00, for a day with no Monday or November closure. All four sights are shut on Mondays outside holidays, so go between Tuesday and Sunday.
The arcade of the Venetian Galleries on the seafront. Photo: Johan Bakker, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Tours worth paying for
Ostend is a trip to do on your own, because every museum takes a ticket on the door or online. The brewery tour is the one booked activity.
Ostend brewery tour with three beers
From €40 · 4.6 stars from 8 reviews · 2 hours
Ostend Brewery Tour with 3 Beer Tastings and Snack Platead takes you to the Stadsbrouwerij ‘t Koelschip, Van Iseghemlaan 101, for a 30-minute guided look at the brewing and three 33 cl beers with a Breughel plate. It runs in English, French and Dutch.
James Ensor House
Vlaanderenstraat 29 · €14 adult, €6 aged 6 to 14, free under 6 · daily 10:00 to 18:00, closed Mondays outside holidays
The house where James Ensor lived and worked from 1917 until his death is kept as it was, and the neighbouring houses now add 690 square metres of exhibition space. Visitors get a tailor-made audio guide, and Ensor’s manservant Gust Van Yper guides the youngest visitors. The visit takes 1 to 1.5 hours, and the whole house is accessible to wheelchair users, with a free wheelchair to borrow. The exhibition Spilliaert/Ensor runs from 8 October 2026 to 10 January 2027 and sets Ensor beside Léon Spilliaert, who also painted Ostend’s sea, harbour and bathers. The house closes at 17:00 on 24 and 31 December and is shut on 25 December and 1 January. Buy tickets on the house’s site, where a Museumpass also works.
The blue salon of the James Ensor House. Photo: Paul Hermans, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Mu.ZEE
Venetian Galleries, seafront corner of Parijsstraat · €12 adult, €3 aged 13 to 25, free under 12 · Tue to Sun 10:00 to 17:30
Mu.ZEE’s main building on Romestraat closed in January 2025 for a three-year renovation, and the museum has been in the Venetian Galleries, built between 1900 and 1903 to a design by Henri Maquet, since 28 June 2025. Here it shows its Belgian art from 1880 onwards across three zones, with four consecutive thematic exhibitions. The current show, Statuettes. Small Sculpture at Home, runs to 3 January 2027, with about 100 sculptures, paintings and works on paper. Groups of 10 pay €10 each. The museum is closed on Mondays, 25 December and 1 January, and closes at 16:30 on 24 and 31 December (Mu.ZEE).
Mercator
Jan Piersplein 2, in the marina · €8 adult, €7 students, €6 up to 14, free under 6 · 10:00 to 17:00, closed Mondays
A three-masted sailing ship that Adrien de Gerlache designed, built in Scotland, with only two commanders and 41 voyages in its career. In 1956 it brought back the remains of Father Damien from Molokai. It became a museum ship in 1961 and has been in Ostend since 1964 (Visit Oostende). Visit Oostende’s calendar shows it open from 10:00 to 17:00 every day except Monday, and groups of 20 or more pay €6 each.
The Mercator in Ostend marina. Photo: Heipedia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Fort Napoleon
Vuurtorenweg 13, Oosteroever · €9 adult, €7 up to 12, free up to 6 · 10:00 to 18:00, closed Mondays except holidays
A fort on the eastern bank of the harbour with a story trail about its history, where the walls “speak” through listening points and light projections. A separate trail is adapted for children. The fort also houses an information point for Ostend tourism, which sells tickets for events and shows. It is closed on 25 December. Visit Oostende lists the fort’s opening calendar, which shows closed days in November, so look at it before you cross the harbour (Visit Oostende).
Fort Napoleon above the dunes. Photo: Johan Bakker, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Next
Ghent is 22 to 27 minutes from Brugge in the Ghent day trip, and Damme has its own boat and bike route in the Damme day trip. The full comparison is in day trips from Bruges.
Common questions
How long is the train from Bruges to Ostend?
The Intercity train from Brugge to Oostende takes 13 to 14 minutes, and two to three leave every hour.
Which Ostend museums are closed on Mondays?
Mu.ZEE and the Mercator are closed every Monday. The James Ensor House and Fort Napoleon are closed on Mondays except on Flemish public holidays and in Flemish school holidays.
How much does the James Ensor House cost?
An adult ticket costs €14 and children aged 6 to 14 pay €6. The house is open 10:00 to 18:00 and a visit takes 1 to 1.5 hours.
Where is Mu.ZEE?
Mu.ZEE's main building on Romestraat is closed for a three-year renovation that began in January 2025. The museum shows its collection in the Venetian Galleries on the seafront, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:30.
How much is the Kusttram?
A single De Lijn ticket costs €3 and is valid for 60 minutes. The Kusttram has 67 stops along the coast and runs every 10, 15 or 20 minutes in the daytime, depending on the period.
