The King Albert I Promenade runs along the top of the sea dike for the full length of the Ostend seafront, traffic-free and lined with tearooms, restaurants, and benches facing the North Sea. It was named for the Belgian king who led his army during World War I and died on a climbing expedition in 1934 — a popular figure and a useful contrast to his father Leopold II, whose reputation is considerably darker.
The promenade is at its best on summer evenings when the light goes flat and golden over the water and the Belgian families with their windbreaks and folding chairs fill the beach below. The designated Lido section has beach sports and children's activities in summer. Walk the full length for a view of the grand 19th-century thermal bathing establishments that still line the front.