Belgium with its beautiful Gothic architecture, delicious hand-crafted chocolates and some of the most diverse, complex, and tasty beer in the world attracts millions of visitors each year. And being so easily accessible by train or by Eurostar makes it a perfect place for a quick weekend getaway.
Most people will flock to the capital Brussels and beyond that it’s generally Brugge or Antwerp. While those cities are beautiful and definitely worth a visit, Ghent tends to get overlooked, and it just happens to be my favorite.
Our weekend started with a short 2 hour Eurostar from London to Brussels followed by a quick 40 min train to Ghent. The plan was 1 day in Ghent, 1 day in Brussels and then homeward bound. Let’s see what we can take in!
Ghent
Ghent is a historic city that dates back over 2000 years. During the Middle Ages, it evolved into one of Europe’s largest and wealthiest cities, driven predominately by its wool and textile industry. During the renaissance the city also became an artistic hub and attracted some of the world’s top painters.
One of the things I enjoy most about this city is how easy it is to walk around, enjoy the gorgeous architecture, sit outside at a cafe and not just feel like one of a zillion tourists.
Korenlei and Graslei
The Korenlei and Graslei is the perfect place for that coffee or lunch stop. This is actually one of the best-preserved medieval cityscapes in Europe. They are two historic quays facing each other along the Lys River right in the heart of Ghent, lined with guild houses that date back to the 12th century.
Everywhere you look is the perfect picture – my camera was full as I just couldn’t get over how beautiful this was.
There are many restaurants, cafes and bars on both sides of the river so I do recommend at the very least stopping at one and having a coffee or a tasty Belgium beer!
Boat Tour
The Korenlei and Graslei is also the primary place to take a boat cruise from. Tours are about 40 mins and a relaxing way to see the city and get some interesting history as well. Totally recommend doing this if the weather is good! The cost is €10 and can be paid in cash or card.
Gravensteen Castle
Also located in the heart of the city is Gravensteen, also known as the Castle of Counts. This medieval fortress dates back to 1180 and is one of Belgium’s best-preserved castles. Entrance includes walking the battlements with some stunning panoramic views, checking out the collection of medieval weaponry, exploring the dungeons and partaking in some interactive exhibits.
You can also get an audio guide. I’d recommend choosing the comedy tour, which is presented by a Belgium comic. You’ll get a very humorous and insightful perspective on the castle’s history, particularly focusing on Count Philip of Alsace, the builder of this impressive fortress. Expect lots of Belgian toilet humour too!
During peak season tickets can sell out so I would recommend booking ahead of time. Tickets were €13 and I would say allocate at least an hour for your visit.
St. Michael's Bridge
One of the best views in Ghent is on St. Michael’s Bridge that straddles the Korenlei and Graslei over the River Lys. From the center of the bridge, you can see three of Ghent’s major medieval towers in a row. (St. Nicholas’ Church, The Belfry of Ghent and St. Bavo’s Cathedral). Only from this bridge can you capture all three of them in a single picture.
In the middle of the bridge is a beautiful lantern with a bronze statue of St Michael and a writhing dragon at his feet. This is from the Bible story where Michael drives a dragon, ridden by a band of evil spirits, from heaven. If you want the perfect photo without many people, get here in the morning before the city has woken up!
The Belfry of Ghent
The Belfry of Ghent is a medieval bell tower, standing at 91m (298 ft), making it the tallest belfry in Belgium. During medieval times it symbolized the freedom and power of the city, and housed it’s municipal privileges, such as charters and important documents, stored in a fortified room called the “secret safe”.
Tickets are €11 and includes a visit to the top of the tower for some incredible panoramic views. You’ll also catch a few exhibits on the way, explore the bell chamber and see the famous Dragon of Ghent, which sat on top of the Bell Tower since the 14th century and became the mascot of the city.
Part of the ascent up does involve climbing up some stairs, but (sigh of relief) after a short climb there is an elevator that will take you just about to the top. It’s a small space at the top so going early or later in the day will help you have a more relaxed visit.
Saint Bavo’s Cathedral
Saint Bavo’s Cathedral is one of Belgium’s most historically and artistically significant churches. Housed inside is the famous Ghent Altarpiece also know as the Mystic of the Lamb, which is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of European Art painted by Hubert and Jan van Eyck.
If you are going to visit anything in Ghent, this is it. If you have seen the movie the Monuments Men, you will recall that this piece played a prominent role in the film as it was rescued from the Nazis. The altarpiece has long been a desired piece of art and has been stolen, hidden and recovered at least 6 times. There is actually one stolen panel that remains unrecovered to this today.
When we visited, we paid a little more to include the augmented reality tour and I would recommend this as it was pretty cool and I think done very well!! The AR lets you experience the piece up close and hear an in depth history behind the painting of it. The actual altarpiece was recently restored in 2023 and is truly awe inspiring. The timed slots means that you are not crowded in a room trying to get a glimpse of the masterpiece, but that you have time and space to view it and appreciate it.
Eating and drinking
There are no shortages of restaurants and bars in Ghent. As I was only here for a day I didn’t get to sample too much, but the places we did visit were so good they are worth mentioning.
Soepbar Sordo
We arrived in Ghent late morning and wanted to make the most of our day so didn’t have time to stop for a long leisurely lunch. We found this really unique and wonderful place called Soepbar Sordo.
Sordo means deaf in Spanish, and the owner is deaf and has come up with this very interesting and simple way of ordering. Everything is shown with gesture drawings and ordering includes making those gestures or simply pointing to what you want. The menu is in Dutch so we couldn’t read it, however the owner pointed on a card that indicated what vegetables the soups were made with.
We had a bowl of soup that came with some homemade bread and butter. Simple but absolutely delicious and exactly what I wanted for a quick lunch! It’s a small restaurant, but if you are looking for a quick and tasty meal, I highly recommend this!
Balls & Glory
For dinner we found an unusual restaurant which focussed on handcrafted meatballs. Balls & Glory caters to both meat eaters and vegetarians. The menu is simple, choose your meatball and choose your side. The meatballs are quite big so the portion served is more than enough! The meal was absolutely delicious and I quite enjoyed the concept. It’s meatballs or meatballs and the name of the place alone deserves a visit!
Dulle Greit
Dulle Greit is a quirky and legendary pub in Ghent. What makes it such a tourist stop is their iconic beer called De Max van’t Huis. This beer comes with an experience as it’s served in a large, what is called ‘coachman’s glass’. But what comes next is the gimmick that everyone comes to see.
When you order this beer, you must hand over one of your shoes as a deposit. They will then put your shoe in a basket that they hoist up on the ceiling. Your shoe will remain there until you have finished your beer and turned your glass back to the bar.
Every time the basket is lowered to add another shoe, a bell is rung, creating a small spectacle for the bar! The beer costs €14, which is definitely steep, but you are paying for the experience. A fun place to come and check out, but don’t forget your shoe when you leave!
End of Day 1
While a day and half in Ghent wasn’t nearly enough time, we still managed to see all of this! I enjoyed my second visit just as much as the first. Of course another day or two would have been perfect to see things at a more leisurely pace, but alas I will just have to return. I can’t hype up this Belgian city enough, so do yourself a favor and pay it a visit.
Next stop Brussels!
