Ostend Ramsgate ferry

Ostend Guide

Formerly a 15th century mediaeval fishing village which has grown into a town. During the 18th century, the “Ostend Company” brought wealth to the town through trade with the Far East. Ostend is situated on the North Sea coast, approximately midway along the 40-mile Belgian coastline stretching from De Panne via Nieuwpoort – Westende - Middelkerke - Oostende - Den Haan - Blankenberge to Knokke. Ostend (East-End), which lies east of Middelkerke (hence the name), was at one time the summer residence of the Belgian Royal Court and was therefore known as the “Queen of the Coastal Towns”. The “Royal Villa” (built in the reign of King Leopold I) has been transformed in to an hotel-restaurant. Nowadays the Royal Court only visits Ostend on official occasions. Ostend is the only Belgian coastal resort that is as lively in the summer as in the winter. Culture, sport or gastronomy: in short, there’s a huge variety of things to choose from.

Ramsgate Guide

Ramsgate is an English seaside town on the Isle of Thanet in East Kent. It was one of the great English seaside towns in the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque ports. The construction of Ramsgate Harbour was begun in 1749 but not finally completed until about 1850. The two most influential architects of the Ramsgate Harbour were John Shaw Senior and John Shaw Junior. They designed the clockhouse, the oblesix, the lighthouse and the Jacobs ladder steps. It has the unique distinction of being the only Royal Harbour in the United Kingdom, King George 4th having awarded the title following his successful visit with the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1821. Because of its proximity to mainland Europe, Ramsgate was a chief embarkation point both for the Dunkirk evacuation. 4,200 ships left Ramsgate Harbour to rescue men from the Dunkirk beaches during World War 2.