Due to a good strategic position at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt & Leie, Ghent has been a wealthy city since the Late Middle Ages through good trading routes. Ghent escaped severe destruction in both world wars & furthermore presents the visitor today with some marvelous Medieval architecture.
Photo Hotspots
Cathedral of St. Bavo
The Belfry
Townhall
Groentenmarkt
Vismarkt & Kraanlei
Graslei
Korenlei
Colour Gallery
Ghent is a real jewel in the list of European cities. Known for its well preserved medieval architecture, the city also has a good nightlife too. I enjoyed Ghent on two separate occasions, once during daylight hours & a second time just for the evening ambience. I can strongly recommend an evening tour during the summer months, but don’t forget the tripod.
“A stroll through Ghent, perhaps Belgium’s most overlooked city, presents some counterintuitive surprises. I’m sitting on the banks of its central river, watching kids play nosebleed gabba music at an implausibly low volume. The muted din — a frenzy of hollow kick-drums & sped-up vocals — hardly makes a ripple, so this minor act of rebellion seems ridiculously polite.”
– Evening Standard
“In the 19th century this noble corner of Flanders was dubbed “the Manchester of the Continent”, the first Flemish city to successfully harness the industrial revolution. But factory pollution coated everything in grime until a major restoration programme in the mid-Eighties restored the place to former glories.”
– Evening Standard
Did You Know?
Much of the Ghent’s medieval architecture remains remarkably well preserved and restored. Cars are banned in the city center, and the cobblestone streets are filled with people walking, biking or taking the public trams. The city center of Ghent is Belgium’s largest car free area.
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