Ghent

Overview

Ghent is what happens when a medieval city of enormous wealth survives the centuries relatively intact, gets a university, and doesn't become so famous that it's overrun. It has more medieval towers per square kilometre than almost anywhere in Europe; the Ghent Altarpiece (Jan van Eyck, 1432) is arguably the most important painting in Western art and can now be seen restored to full splendour; the canal system is navigable and beautiful; and the Ghent Festival in July briefly makes it the largest street party in Europe. It is one of the continent's great overlooked cities.

Best Time to Visit

April to October is the window. May and June are ideal: warm, the canals are beautiful, and the city isn't yet at peak summer. The Ghent Festival (Gentse Feesten, 10 days in mid-July) is a massive outdoor music and street performance event that takes over the entire city — extraordinary if you're there, impossible to find accommodation for if you haven't planned. September and October are quieter and beautifully lit. Winter is cold but the Christmas market on the Korenmarkt is excellent.

Top Things to Do

The Ghent Altarpiece (Mystic Lamb)

The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by Hubert and Jan van Eyck (1432) is the most stolen artwork in history — targeted by Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm, Hitler, and thieves working alone — and is now displayed in a purpose-built climate-controlled viewing room in St Bavo's Cathedral. After a decade of meticulous restoration, all 12 panels are reunited for the first time since 1794. Allow time for the experience; it rewards slow looking. Book online to avoid queues.

Gravensteen Castle

The 12th-century Castle of the Counts rises surreally from the city's medieval core, complete with moat and battlements. It was used as a prison and later a cotton factory before restoration. The interior museum covers medieval weaponry and the history of criminal justice (with torture instruments). The roof gives excellent views over the old city.

Graslei & Korenlei

Ghent's most photographed panorama: two quays of guild houses (12th–17th century) facing each other across the Leie River. The Graslei side is the more photogenic, with the Grain Weigher's House, Toll Collector's House, and Free Boatmen's House lined up like a medieval film set. Best photographed from the Sint-Michielsbrug bridge. Boat tours of the canals leave from here.

STAM City Museum

Ghent's city history museum occupies a medieval abbey complex extended with striking contemporary architecture. The permanent collection traces the city from prehistoric times through its role as Europe's second-largest city in the Middle Ages to the present. Worth 2–3 hours for context before exploring.

Design Museum Ghent

One of Europe's best design collections, spanning art nouveau to contemporary design, housed in a beautiful 18th-century mansion extended with a modern wing. Horta furniture, Belgian industrial design, and rotating contemporary exhibitions. Often overlooked by tourists, which makes it peaceful.

Vrijdagmarkt & Local Markets

The Friday Market square has been Ghent's civic centre since the Middle Ages — where guilds gathered, executions took place, and Count Jacob van Artevelde addressed 80,000 citizens in 1337. Today it's lined with café terraces and a market on Friday and Saturday mornings. The organic market on Sint-Jacobsplein on Sunday mornings is the city's best.

Patershol

The medieval tangle of lanes between the Gravensteen and the canal is Ghent's oldest neighbourhood — a former tanners' and artisans' district. Now it's a restaurant quarter, but the street scale and fabric are still genuinely medieval. Best explored on foot at dusk.

Neighbourhoods Guide

Historic Core — The central medieval city bounded by the three towers (Belfry, St Nicholas, St Bavo). All the main monuments, the canals, and the best-preserved townscapes.

Patershol — Medieval lane network, restaurant-dense, atmospheric at night.

Prinsenhof — Where the Dukes of Burgundy had their palace. Philip the Good and Charles V were born here. Now a quiet neighbourhood with some of the city's best restaurants.

Dampoort / Dok — Industrial harbour area being creatively redeveloped. Galleries, pop-up restaurants, the Dok outdoor events venue.

Sint-Pieters — The university quarter around the main station. Student bars, affordable restaurants, and a genuine local feel.

Food & Drink

Ghent is Belgium's most vegetarian-friendly city (it instituted a weekly "Veggie Thursday" in 2009, the first city in the world to do so). But the Flemish classics still rule:

• Waterzooi — Ghent's signature dish: a creamy stew with chicken (or fish) and vegetables. Every restaurant in the old town does it; find one where it's made to order.
• Gentse Mokke — A thick, hard candy and Ghent's sweet emblem. Stalls sell bags of them; they're not particularly delicious but deeply traditional.
• Cuberdons — Cone-shaped purple gelatin sweets filled with raspberry syrup. Sold by vendors near the Vrijdagmarkt. Also known as "Ghent noses."
• Waffles — Brussels waffles (rectangular, crispy, with toppings) and Liège waffles (denser, caramelised, eaten plain) are both available. Eat them fresh from a street vendor.
• Beer — Belgium. Need I say more. Chimay, Duvel, Orval, Westmalle, and the Ghent regional brews. Dulle Griet bar serves over 250 Belgian beers and requires you to surrender one shoe as a deposit for the 1-litre yard glass.

Getting Around

Ghent's tram and bus network covers the city. The historic centre is partly pedestrianised — trams run through but cars are largely excluded. Walking and cycling are the best ways to explore; the city has excellent cycling infrastructure. Gent Centraal station (Sint-Pieters) is a 10-minute tram ride from the historic centre.

From Brussels: 30 minutes by IC train (runs twice an hour). From Brussels Airport: 1 hour by direct train. Day trip from Brussels is very feasible.

Budget Guide

Day Trips

• Bruges — The most-visited small city in Belgium, 30 minutes by train. Beautiful but very crowded in summer. Go on a winter weekday.
• Brussels — Capital and EU headquarters, 30 minutes by train. Grand-Place, Atomium, Magritte Museum, Belgian beer bars.
• Antwerp — Diamond capital, fashion city, Rubens's home, 40 minutes by train. Cathedral, Rubenshuis, MAS Museum.
• Leuven — University city with the finest Gothic town hall in Belgium, 40 minutes by train. Stella Artois was born here.

Practical Info

• Currency: Euro. Cards accepted almost everywhere.
• Language: Dutch (Flemish). English very widely spoken — Ghent has a large international student population.
• Tipping: Not obligatory; rounding up or leaving 5–10% is appreciated.
• Safety: Very safe. Normal urban precautions apply near the station at night.
• Ghent City Card: St Bavo's Cathedral, Gravensteen, STAM, Design Museum, boat tour, and unlimited public transport. Excellent value for 48–72 hours.