Named for a town (Flemish Oostende, French Ostende) on the Belgian coast. A fishing village since the ninth century, it was fortified in 1583 as a Dutch stronghold in Belgium. However, in 1604, it fell to the Spanish troops after a three-year siege. With emperor Charles VI of Austria, who founded the “Ostend Company”, Ostend entered into a period of prosperity. After Belgian independence in 1830 it became a fashionable seaside resort. Connected to England by sea and air services, Ostend is often called the “Gateway to Europe”. (M 34629) _ _.