Winter Desolation Along the Ostend Coast

With the idea of documenting the Belgian coast during late autumn and winter, I took a few photos the other day while catching up with an old friend over a long-overdue lunch. The coastline, particularly in Ostend, is dominated by uninspiring apartment blocks that sprang up like mushrooms in the 1970s. During that time, the city’s charming, stately homes were replaced with unattractive concrete buildings to accommodate the growing number of tourists.

To make matters worse, Ostend’s promenade is often lined with mediocre bars and restaurants serving overpriced, uninspiring food. This bleakness becomes even more noticeable in the desolation of winter, when tourists are absent, and only the occasional local ventures out for a late afternoon walk or bike ride—adding a sense of loneliness to an already dreary scene.

​Ostend, Belgium