Visit Oostende
Fort Napoleon
Between the dunes of the Ostend east bank, you can find Fort Napoleon. It forms the decor of hundreds of years of history. On this site the French anxiously waited for the British to come. German soldiers used the impenetrable pentagon as a buffer against the Allies. And it's also the place where Ostend rascals fell in love for the first time. The permanent exhibition makes the walls of the Fortress whisper. There are also many temporary exhibitions for young and old. You can also rent this unique location.
Pentagonal tower fortress of Napoleon Bonaparte
1810 AD: Napoleon Bonaparte visits Ostend and orders the construction of three fortresses to repel English attacks. One of those fortresses is never built, one is demolished in the course of time, and one you can still visit today. Spanish prisoners of war and requisitioned local workers build the stronghold. The northern tip is turned towards the sea for maximum field of fire.
After the French era, the occupation and purpose of the fortress varies greatly: from defensive bastion for various armies to museum, military observation post, children's playground, exercise ground and storage depot. Today it is one of the tourist attractions in Ostend, the queen of the Belgian sea-side resorts.
