A day in Ghent

The cruise ship calls at Zeebrugge, Belgium's second largest port. Zeebrugge has a wide beach, a fish auction hall and the Zeebrugge Seafront. All this is little compared to the nearby historical cities of Bruges or Ghent.

Declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site Bruges we know it very well from a stay of several days. We see them as alternative goals Antwerp or Gent. The historical center of Antwerp is also known to us; we reported about it.

Ghent - a worthwhile travel destination

We choose Ghent. The distance between Zeebrugge and Ghent is 70 kilometers. And there is just as much to see in Ghent as in Bruges and Antwerp. A number of historical buildings tell of Ghent's history and traditions. Ghent ranks third among the cities of Belgium. Almost 250.000 people live in the city.

We visit Ghent with a rental car. The city can be reached in one hour via the motorway. A spur motorway leads far into the city. We park near the historic center, in the parking garage under Vrijdagmarkt. In addition, trains run every hour between Zeebrugge and Gent-Sint-Pieters station. The journey time is also one hour.

Gents tourist office gives good advice

First we go to the nearby tourist information office on Sint-Veerleplein. She resides behind an imposing building front in a modern complex on the banks of the Leie. The information material is extensive and informative. The “Tourist Guide”, a small pocket-sized booklet, is particularly useful for exploring the city. The city guide is aimed primarily at guests who spend several days in the city. Places and museums worth seeing are presented in a relaxed manner. Areas that are worth visiting are pointed out. There is also no lack of information on the topics of eating and shopping. Perfect! But far too much for just one day.

Tourist information office

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Ghent: facts and figures

Between the years 1000 and 1550, Ghent was one of the most important cities in Europe. More than 60.000 people lived in Ghent in the 14th century. At the same time, London had fewer inhabitants. In Ghent's heyday, richly furnished ecclesiastical and secular buildings were built. Among them are de three Torens, the three towers. Because of her, Ghent was famous and worth seeing in the Middle Ages.

In both world wars, Ghent was less destroyed than other cities in Europe. It is thanks to this fortunate circumstance that there are currently more than 9.800 culturally and historically interesting buildings in Ghent.

Historic buildings on Sint Veerleplein

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The tour of Ghent starts at the tourist office

From Sint-Veerleplein we walk over to the Burgstraat. We also take the Hoofdbrug, which is nicknamed the Beheading Bridge. Greetings from the late Middle Ages. From the bridge there is a good view of Gravensteen Fortress to the right. For centuries it served the Counts of Flanders as a proper, safe place to live and is one of the largest moated castles in Europe. Visitors are guided through the castle in fifteen stages. From the Hoofdbrug you can catch a glimpse of the belfry and the Sint Niklaaskerk on the other side.

Behind the Hoofdbrug we turn into the Jan Breydelstraat and pass the Design Museum. It mainly deals with furniture and everyday objects.

Ghent Design Museum

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Our next destination - the Sint-Niklaaskerk

At the height of the Grasbrug we change to the street Korenlei. We follow it and admire the row of houses on the other side of the Leie, the Graslei. The sight suggests that already in the Middle Ages there was not messing about, but padding. On our side there are also well restored buildings. We are impressed by the Ghent Marriott Hotel, housed in an ensemble of houses from the 16th century. The facade of the hotel restaurant Korenhuis is decorated with two golden swans.

We cross the Leie by means of the Sint-Michielsbrug. Incidentally, the rivers Scheldt and Leie converge in Ghent. To the right of us is Sint-Michielskerk. Construction of the church began in 1440. The construction work did not end until 1825. Originally a 134 meter high tower was to belong to the construction. Due to financial constraints, this project was never completed. At a height of 24 meters it was finally over. From the slightly elevated position on the bridge we can see Gravensteen Castle. At the same time we perceive the three towers in a line that are characteristic of Ghent.

In front of us are the Korenmarkt and the breathtaking Sint-Niklaaskerk. Construction of the Gothic church began in the early 13th century. A huge square tower rises above the intersection of the nave and transept. Together with Gents Belfry and the tower of Sint-Baafskathedraal, this forms the skyline of Ghent. On the sidelines of the church, the craft guilds were given their own chapels.

A look back doesn't hurt. The magnificent building with the two towers, today's Post Plaza, was the old post office. It was built in neo-Gothic style between 1898 and 1910. It fits in well with the historical ambience. The octagonal tower is striking.

Ghent - the old post office

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Opposite the Sint-Niklaaskerk stands the stonemasons' guild hall, which was built in the 16th century and is decorated with coats of arms. For a long time, the brick building was covered by unattractive facades. The gem was not rediscovered until 1976. Six dancing devils, so-called Morisk dancers, spin in the wind on the stepped gable. An exact copy of the house is on Graslei. It was built on the occasion of the 1913 World's Fair held in Ghent.

Gents Belfry

After a few steps we stand in front of Gents 95 meter high belfry. Stonemason's invoices show that it was built at the beginning of the 14th century. Around 1380 the "Ghent Dragon" was placed on him. The following centuries brought changes to the spire. The tower can be climbed; Access to the tower ascent is via the cloth hall.

The belfry was originally used for practical purposes. Enemies and sources of fire could be made out from above. The town's chartered privileges were kept in a secret archive in the tower. In addition, the belfry symbolically demonstrated the independence and trading power that Ghent enjoyed in Europe at the time. The tower and the adjoining Lakenhal, the Cloth Hall, have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.

Sint-Baafskathedraal - seat of the Ghent diocese

The path continues to the episcopal church of the Ghent diocese. The cathedral, dedicated to Saint Bavo (Sint Baaf), is remarkable for its size. The pulpit is made of oak and marble. The organ is considered to be the largest organ in the Benelux countries. Photography in the church is prohibited. We keep (almost) to this commandment and let us be taken by the splendor of the nave and the many side chapels without taking photos. The crypt with its treasures can be visited free of charge.

Admission is charged for the Ghent Altarpiece exhibited in a chapel behind armored glass. The central theme of the altar is the adoration of the Lamb of God. The work of art was created by the Van Eyck brothers.

Geraard de Duivelsteen Castle

Our next destination is Duivelsteen Castle, built in the 13th century. Its builder was Gerard Vilain, popularly called Geraard the devil. The castle is one of the oldest buildings in Ghent. It was originally intended as the stately home of its builder, later it served as an armory, prison, school, convent and as an asylum. In our time it houses the State Archives. 

Geraard de Duivelsteen Castle

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Before we reach the castle, we pass a university building and the monument dedicated to the Van Eyck brothers. Then we go back to Duivelsteen: its western side borders on a body of water. We follow it before we head back towards the old center at the Bisdomplein.

The monument to the van Eyck brothers

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Stadhuis and the Grote Vleeshuis

The next destination is the Stadhuis on Botermarkt. Gents old town hall was built between the 15th and 18th centuries. The facade shows architectural styles of the Gothic and Renaissance. Guided tours are offered in the town hall.

The Ghent City Theater is located near the town hall, on Sint Baafsplein. It is correctly called NTGent. The abbreviation stands for Nederlands Theater Gent. Below the gable, a mosaic shows how relaxed Apollo, among others the god of the arts, used to have with the muses.

Through the Hoogport it goes to the Groentenmarkt. The first thing we see is the Grote Vleeshuis, the butcher's hall. It comes from the 15th century. Local products are sold in the restored hall and a restaurant is maintained. Only the hams hanging from the ceiling are a reminder of the original purpose.

De Grote Vleeshuis

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Next to the hall is the seemingly tiny t 'Galgenhuisje. The name said it all; Executions were carried out behind the house in earlier times. Today the smallest café in Ghent uses the macabre place.

t 'Galgenhuisje - Ghent's smallest café

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We continue to Grootkanonplein to Dulle Griet. The "Tolle Grete" is a cannon barrel weighing 12½ tons. The monster painted in red has never fired a shot, but it goes perfectly with Ghent.

Cannon - Dulle Griet

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The Jacob Van Arteveldes monument

From the cannon we walk over to Zuivelbrugstraat and cross a small bridge. The Kraanlei lies in front of us. If we followed it to the left, we would be back at Sint-Veerleplein, where we started our city tour.

Two spectacular houses on the Kraanlei

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We give up and go back to Zuivelbrugstraat. After a few steps we are back on the Vrijdagmarkt, under which our car is parked. We take another look around the spacious market square. The houses are lined up around the square. In the center of the square is the Jacob Van Arteveldes monument. The entrepreneur and politician, who lived in the 13th and 14th centuries, campaigned for close ties to England before he was murdered by dissidents. His right arm points towards England.

Jacob van Artevelde points the way

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We liked it a lot in historic Ghent. During the day we do not see anything of the highly praised, passive city illumination for which Ghent has repeatedly received awards. We don't see many other things either. Reason enough to visit the city again with more time than today.

Update December 2023