Royal Galleries of Ostend, Neoclassical colonnade along the beach in Ostend, Belgium.
The Royal Galleries of Ostend is a 380 meter long colonnade featuring paired Tuscan columns with bluestone pedestals running along the seafront. The structure includes a glass-covered walkway that frames views of the North Sea while creating a covered passage.
Architect Charles Girault designed the structure around 1906 on commission from King Leopold II. The project aimed to connect the royal residence with nearby facilities and provide the growing seaside resort with a modern waterfront promenade.
The galleries reflect how Belgian seaside resorts adopted French architectural ideas during the early 1900s. Locals and visitors alike use the colonnade as a social gathering space, much as it was intended when first built.
The colonnade offers gentle slopes and open paths that are accessible to visitors with varying mobility needs. The best time to visit is during low tide when you can explore the beach below, or on clear days for better views across the water.
During World War II, German forces sealed the spaces between the columns to incorporate the structure into their Atlantic Wall coastal defenses. Traces of this wartime modification remain visible in certain sections and tell a lesser-known chapter of the site's past.
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