The must see places to visit in Ghent

We’ve travelled to Belgium several times now so we’re excited to be visiting the historical city of Ghent soon. Viewed by Lonely Planet as Europe’s best kept secret, this cultural hub is situated an hour’s drive from the capital with many medieval landmarks lining its largely traffic free streets. We thought we’d take a look at the must see places to visit in the Arts Quarter (Kunstenkwartier), home to the Book Tower as well as many of the city’s museums and the Historical Centre (Kuip) where there’s a thousand year old fortress, medieval towers and of course the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.

Ghent, known locally as Gent, can be explored by foot, bicycle and the hop on/hop off. There’s also a water tram that runs at weekends plus buses and taxis. Tram lines 1 and 21/22 can take you from one side of the city to the other, straight through the centre.

Top of our must see list has to be Gravensteen Castle (Castle of the Counts) located on Sint-Veerleplein 11. It’s the only remaining medieval fortress in Flanders with its defence system still virtually intact. Philip Alsace, Count of Flanders, had this castle rebuilt in 1180 with the view to showing who’s boss. Opposite the Castle of the Counts is the gateway to the Old Fish Market and the Ghent Tourist Office. The old neighbourhood of Patershol, located in the shadow of Gravensteen, consists of narrow alleys and winding lanes that date back to the middle ages.

The gothic style Belfry in Sint-Baafsplein is seen as Ghent’s symbol of the city’s independence. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of three medieval towers that overlook the old city centre – the other two being Saint Bavo Cathedral and Saint Nicholas’ Church. At 91 metres tall, this monument is the tallest in Belgium. The City Pavilion is located nearby along with the Town Hall and St Nicholas Church which is on Cataloniestraat. Saint Bavo Cathedral, also in Sint-Baafsplein, is the oldest parish church in Ghent and where Charles V was baptised. It’s most widely known for The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, a Ghent altarpiece painted by the Van Eyck brothers in 1432. Located less than fifty metres from this busy area is Achtersikkel, a square with two towers providing an oasis of calm. With Ghent’s music academy housed there, you may even catch a violin solo or piano performance.

Having discovered where to find the best street art in London, Werregarenstraat (Graffiti Street) is certainly worth investigating as the artists are free to create their own designs. Conceived as a temporary project over ten years ago, this alley showcases new masterpieces. St Michael’s Bridge (Sint-Michielshelling) provides picture perfect views of the city and the River Lys. There are the medieval ports Graslei and Korenlei with the Old Fish Market and the Castle of the Counts in the distance, St Michael’s Church, the rear of the Pand building and the row of towers which can only be captured from here. The Historical Illuminated Walk (1.5 miles) is best taken as dusk falls. The award-winning Lighting Plan shows Ghent’s architectural gems in their best light. It starts from the central St Veerleplein near the Castle of the Counts.

The House of Alijn shows how men and women lived their every day life in the 20th century through old private videos, providing an intimate glimpse into a time that was. It’s the only almshouse remaining in Ghent. The Castle of Gerald the Devil is a 13th century Gothic steen named after knight Geeraard Vilain. Vrijdagmarkt has an open market and there are restaurants aplenty both in the square and in the alleys leading up to it. We’re hoping to pop into Tavern Dulle Griet which is a legendary café serving more than 250 Belgian beers where you give your shoe as a deposit for a pint! Jozef’s chip shop is equally well-known. Prinsenhof is where Lodewijk van Male swapped the Castle of the Counts for a town house – Charles V was born there in 1500. Of the wall complex that had 300 rooms and a zoo, only the Dark Gate remains – still one of Ghent’s hidden gems.

There are a wealth of museums in the Arts Quarter with STAM providing a great starting point. The 14th century abbey, 17th century monastery and 21st century development form the Ghent City Museum. Situated at the restored Bijloke Abbey, it tells the story of past, present and future from a medieval metropolis to a city of knowledge and culture. St Peter’s Abbey offers prestigious internationally-orientated exhibitions with its ruins and vineyard providing an oasis in the heart of the city. Located on the East side of Citadelpark, is the iconic building of the Museum of Fine Arts. It holds a permanent collection of art from the Middle Ages to the mid 20th century. The house at the World of Kina offers a unique fossil of a pre-historic reptile, a diorama room with native birds and a model of Ghent as it was 450 years ago. The garden a thousand species of plant, a bee colony and live tarantulas!

The S.M.A.K Municiple Museum of Contemporary Art offers top national and international works along with original exhibitions. Behind the 18th century façade lurks the Design Museum where you’ll find a permanent collection supplemented by temporary expositions. For views across the city, there is MIAT, Museum about Industry, Labour and Textile which is housed in an old cotton mill and shows how technology has changed over the last 250 years. Also worthwhile checking out is the Book Tower, the ‘fourth tower’ which symbolises Ghent’s status as a university city. It is home to more than 3 million books over its 24 floors including 4 beneath ground level.

With so much on offer in Ghent, it will be interesting to see how much of it we get to explore while we’re there. There’s such a great mix of sights with the majority of the above suitable for children too.

All images courtesy of iStock