9 Best Things To Do in Ghent
Why Ghent
Situated between Bruges and Brussels you will find the city of Ghent. A beautiful medieval city built around the River Leie famous for its 3 towers, city castle, and festivals. While the city can be overshadowed by its more famous neighbors, Ghent is definitely worth a day trip or a longer stay.
1. Legends of Ghent Walking Tour
A walking tour is always a great way to get to know a city (or at least a part of it) in a relatively short amount of time. I always take a walking tour to learn about the history of the city, and you can get great local recommendations from the tour guides. I ended up taking two tours with Legends of Gent. /I took the free day tour that gives you the vibrant history of the city. I had a great local guide who was from Ghent and was attending university there. Since I had so much fun I took the evening tour, The Dark Side of Ghent (which is also free), and learned all about the city’s history of seafaring debauchery, executions, and their diabolical king.
2. Stroll Around Patershol
Spend some time strolling around Patershol, the oldest part of the city. This part of the city dates back to Medieval times. There around laneways with beautiful buildings around every corner as well as bars and restaurants tucked inside these beautiful buildings. When you are ready for a break head back over the river to have a drink at De Dulle Griet in the Vrijdagmarkt (Friday Market Square)./*Travel Tip: Patershol is a car-free zone. You can catch a tram to just outside this zone. Whether you are walking through or staying here it’s something to keep in mind.
3. Boat Ride on the River Leie
For a different look at the city take to the River Leie for a boat ride through the canals. /The boat rides can be arranged at stands on either side of the Vleeshuisburg bridge (on your way to the Gravensteen). The ride is about an hour, is multi-lingual, and gives you more history of the city plus an ice cream treat on a hot day. /*Travel Tip: It is customary to tip for the boat ride…a few euros will do.
4. Climb the Belfry
One of the Three Ghent towers is the Belfry. You can spot it by the unique golden dragon (the city’s symbol) situated on top of the tower. You can climb to the top of the Belfry to get a great view of the city. They say on a clear day you can see all the way to Bruges. /The Belfry is a UNSECO World Heritage site as it held the city’s most valuable documents during its heyday as the textiles capital of Europe in the 1400s. The tickets are around 10 euros for adults (less for kids). You can purchase tickets online and pick them up in the office of the building which is actually on the street level under the entrance steps. /The Belfry has an elevator to the top which you can take up and down if you don’t want to take the winding staircase up. However, the building is not fully accessible as you have to walk up and down a flight of stairs to access the elevator.
5. Grab a Belgian Beer
Belgium takes its beer very seriously so if you want to experience a bit of culture and have a drink Ghent is the perfect place to do it. Beer has been brewed by monks in the region that is now Belgium as far back as 1000AD. There are a variety of types of beer that each have its own type of glass for drinking./For a rest during your busy day (or days) in the city pop into one of the many pubs dotting the river for a crisp beer and a snack.
6. Gravensteen
The Gravensteen or The Castle of the Counts is a medieval castle located in the heart of old Ghent. The castle has been in use since 1180 and the counts of Flanders lived there until 1353. /After the count moved out of the castle it spend decades being used for everything from a mint, prison, court, and a cotton factory. The castle has stood as a symbol for the Flemish people of Ghent, it was even used in the 1990s when the university students protested the increased price of beer. /Walk back in time with the comedy-guided audio tour to learn about the history of the castle, the city, and the hijinks of the inhabitants. I’d recommend going when it opens if you don’t want to be surrounded by crowds.
7. Enjoy Flemish Stew
Ghent is a truly Flemish city and what better to have than flemish stew. This stew’s history dates back to medieval times as a peasant dish cooked with, of course, beer./You can find flemish stew at many places in the city, however, my favorite place was Du Process located in the heart of the old city. Pull up a chair, have a beer, and enjoy some frits with your stew for a truly Flemish experience.
8. The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb
One of the most famous and most stolen paintings is housed in Saint Bavo’s Church in Ghent. The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb was painted by Netherlandish painter Jan van Eyck in the early 1400s. The painting is known as the first oil painting and consisted of 12 internal panels with multiple painted back panels. /The painting was stolen multiple times, most recently by the Nazis during WWII, and was found and returned to the city of Ghent by the Monument Men. /For a truly unique experience take the 3D tour of the painting's history and details in the lower part of St. Bavo’s.
9. Self-guided chocolate tour
Belgium is famous for many food and drinks, aside from beer, it may be most famous for chocolate. In Belgium chocolate is highly regulated and has strict standards to be called Belgian chocolate (think champagne). /Ghent has some amazing Belgian chocolate you can enjoy. There is a tour where you can learn more about the chocolate-making process. Since the tour was booked I decided to create my own chocolate tasking tour. I found four places that had good reviews and went on a chocolate adventure. /I thought it would be fun to compare the chocolate so at each place I chose a dark chocolate piece to have a true taste test. Then I got whatever else struck my fancy. /You can find the places I went in the 10 Best Places to Eat and Drink in Ghent post.