Ghent is Belgium’s third largest city, a major university town, and an excellent base to explore Flanders. It sits at a strategic location on the confluence of the Leie and Scheldt rivers, where fortifications against French, Viking and other invaders were constructed by the Counts of Flanders in the early 900s onwards. West Flanders is flat, by the sea and accessible to dueling empires (more on this later) and so is a place where you want to be able to button up your castle and tell people to sod off.
Ghent is a right-sized walkable city with the railway station 30 minutes south of the center. A larger city than it’s prettier but inbred neighbor, Bruges, a 30 minute train ride away, Ghent grew as a medieval trading and manufacturing center – especially wool and cloth – connected by canals to the North Sea and to what counted as global trade in those days. Ghent experienced more recent development as a regional center of modern Belgium (founded 1830 if you were wondering), and was a major industrial center from the 19th century onwards, retaining an atmospheric medieval/renaissance center.
The city’s main canal, developed as a medieval trading route, is a magnet for hanging out. You could start here, and there are plenty of things to see just a short walk away.
Saint Bavo’s Cathedral (St-Baafskathedraal), Ghent’s main cathedral, is a 13-14th century Gothic beauty and also holds one of Europe’s most important religious art treasures, Jan van Eyck’s Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (c. 1430), better known as the Ghent Altarpiece. If you don’t want to pay the admission into the side space to see it live, there are replicas in one of the east side chapels. It is worth reading up on before you go as it consists of a series of panels, ordinarily folded shut: at the top level God, flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist, angels and Adam and Eve post-Garden of Eden expulsion. On the lower level, the work shows the Lamb of God on an altar, surrounded by martyrs, prophets and saints, in an early imaginary and very spacy landscape that resembled the low countries of the time. Note the missing lower left panel, one of two stolen in 1934 that is still unfound. The altarpiece, largely intact after almost 600 years, has been lucky to survive the reformation, multiple changes of ruler (Protestant and Catholic) and wars, being most recently stored for safety in a German salt mine during WWII.
The cathedral interior has remarkable natural light and the past bishops look to be having a relaxing nap on their tombs.
Gravensteen Castle. After a general wander round, the imposing 11th-12th century Gravensteen Castle is worth a look. It is surprisingly compact for a major medieval military castle, sticking up amidst the city, and the funky, oversized turrets suggest a creative approach to architecture by the Counts of Flanders. The main square opposite was used for public punishments at the time but now has a couple of cafes and the tourist office.
Phillip of Alsace is perhaps one of the best known of the Counts of Flanders, and developed the castle substantially in the late 1100s, building the large central Donjon (or keep), as a means to cement the power of Flanders as he played off the English and the French. Phillip died of an infection while on his second crusade at Acco, Palestine, in 1189. Philip also sponsored popular culture and enjoyed the chivalric romance novels of the medieval era, commissioning the publication of The Story of the Holy Grail, about King Arthur and his Knights, a best seller of the day. Given that, the following is relevant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9DCAFUerzs
General Strolling and then Beer. The main canal is empty of commercial traffic, apart from tourist boats, and is just darn pretty for a stroll. Many of the main medieval era buildings and spaces, including St Nikolaas’ church, the Korenmarkt and Groentenmarkt squares, the Stadthuis and the Graslei guildhouses, are all within a small distance of each other.
Ghent comes into its own when the sun goes down. Useful here is an excellent selection of beer pubs discussed in more detail later.
Ghent’s Design Museum is just west over the Graslei Bridge at Jan Breydelstraat 5, and if you want to understand the city’s history, the STAM – Ghent City Museum further south at Godshuizenlaan 2 is worth a visit.
Graslei Guildhouses and Sint-Niklaaskerk Spire
Day Bike Trip. I didn’t take advantage of this but day cycling trips work really well in flat, compact and historical Belgium – you could head east along the Scheldt River to the well-preserved medieval cities of Dendermonde or (more ambitiously) Mechelen. Do your own searches but if you plan to get thirsty along the way, you’ll see that the nationally ranked breweries of Duvel Moortgat, Het Anker (i.e. Gouden Carolus) and Karmeliet all lie between Dendermonde and Mechelen. If you decide to explore beyond Dendermonde (about 32 km from Ghent), you may well need to take the train back, which is a practical option given Belgium’s rail network.
More Art. The Fine Art Museum (the MSK), at Fernand Scribedreef 1, has a repository of Flemish renaissance art as well as being comprehensive on more recent painters including James Ensor and Rene Magritte. It is just north of the railway station, so if you are short of time you can go on the way out of town, and conveniently put your gear in their free basement luggage lockers. Belgium works. If you have the time, the Contemporary Art Museum (the SMAK) is just next door and has a comprehensive post-WWII selection. I have no idea what the airship is about but when it’s 1974 and you’re in the Belgian avant-garde, it just has to happen.
Logistics. Ghent is quite compact although the railway station is about a 30-minute walk from the south. I stayed at the Hotel de Flandre, just west of the main canal, which had spacious modern rooms and a decent breakfast for a reasonable rate. If you plan on box ticking the attractions and prefer to use public transit, consider the 72-hour Citycard Gent, https://visit.gent.be/en/tag/citycard-gent which you can buy from most of the itineraries or the tourist office at Sint Veerleplein south of Gravensteen Castle. In 2019, they also include a day’s free bike rental, which is a great way of making you stay an extra day.
Here is a limited but effective list of good beer locations:
Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant, Groentenmarkt 9. Classic waterfront pub with great tap selection. Start here. Outdoor seating.
Trappistenhuis, Brabantdam 164. A slight walk out of the old town but worth it for the superb bottle beer menu. Food also served and a nice space. It is also just south of the local brothels, which are hard to walk by without noticing the Amsterdam-style glass-fronted display.
Trollekelder, Walter De Buckplein 4. Another winding wooden interior and an extensive beer list.
