The annual Ostend at Anchor maritime festival has kicked off. For the next four days, a fleet of ships, especially historic ones, take centre stage.
The theme of this year’s event is Working at Sea, and visitors can meet maritime companies, schools and researchers. There will also be lectures by specialists in the field for the first time.
Niels Dhoedt of Tourism Ostend explains: “Visitors can follow discussions on various topics, from research and nutrition to employment, and on different aspects of seafaring. For example, what it’s like to live on board a historic ship.” People will also be able to visit a fishing vessel that is still in service. The 0.29 Broodwinner will be moored at the Vistrap throughout the weekend.
In previous years, the festival has coincided with the Ascension Day weekend, but this is no longer the case. “It’s a conscious decision by the city council to spread the tourist crowds a little,’ says Rob Jonckheere of Toerisme Oostende. “During the Ascension Day weekend, we would have day trippers combining with people coming to Ostend at Anchor, and it would be incredibly busy in the city.” At the beginning of this month, authorities had to close the access road to the city because of long traffic jams heading to the coast during hot weather. By organising the event a week earlier, the crowds will be more spread out.
Ostend at Anchor runs until Sunday. See the full programme on its website .