• Belgium

Belgium, officially 'Kingdom of Belgium', is a constitutional monarchy in north-western Europe, bounded on the north by the Netherlands and the North Sea, on the east by Germany and Luxembourg, and on the south and south-west by France. With the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Belgium forms the 'Low', or Benelux, countries. The area of Belgium is 30,528 sq km. The capital and largest city is Brussels (1 million), located in the centre of Belgium. Brussels is considered the capital of United Europe, as it serves as the seat of the European Union Commission.

The population of Belgium is about 10 million people. There are three official languages in the country: Flemish (Dutch), French and German. That is because of the ethnic groups and minorities that live along the country. The people of Belgium comprise primarily two ethnic groups: the Flemings and the Walloons. The Flemings speak Flemish, and the Walloons speak French. The predominantly Flemish provinces are in the northern half of Belgium, called Flanders, and the predominantly Walloon provinces are in the southern half, called Wallonia. A German-speaking minority lives in the east.

 • Oostende

Oostende (Ostend in English and French) lies in north-west Belgium, in West Flanders Province, on the North Sea near Bruges. Oostende, a popular seaside resort, was founded as a fishing village in the 9th century. Today, it is a leading Belgian port, with important fishing and shipbuilding industries. Oostende's current population is about 69,000 people.

The Seaport is the main tourist attraction but also shopping in Oostende is a journey of discovery through pedestrian streets and shopping areas. The fascinating and colourful window displays tempt you towards the vast arrays of fashion items and every type of product you could dream of. Most shops are open on Sundays.

 • For information on how to reach Oostende click here

 • Venue

Media Center, a modern convention facility, will serve as the venue of the championships.

 • Hotel Accommodation

The following rates have been agreed and are made available for accomodation in Oostende hotels.

Thermae Palace
Rate per Room	Buffet Breakfast per person rate
€118.99	€11.50

Other Hotel	Rate per Single Room	Rate per Double Room
Deluxe	€65.69 - €104.12	€84.28 - €133.86
Business	€48.38 - €59.49	€65.69 - €78.09
Economy	€29.75 - €44.62	€49.58 - €61.97

Toerisme Oostende Monacoplein 2 B-8400 Oostende Belgium  32-59-701 199   32-59-703 477  cim@toerisme-oostende.be

Room reservations for all hotels should be made through the Toerisme Oostende.

Click here for the hotel booking form in PDF format.