Ghent is often overlooked. People visit Brussels and Bruges, then maybe take a quick day trip to check out the Ghent Altarpiece, if they visit at all. I am here to tell you that Ghent is awesome. It has beautiful medieval buildings and a castle (with a moat!) but it also has a university which gives it a youthful buzz. Sure there are tourists but it isn’t all tourists so you get a peek at what normal life is like in Belgium. We only spent one day and night but based on my experience I would definitely go for a couple days next time I am in Belgium. If I lived in Europe, Gent (in Dutch), would be a common weekend destination for me, the San Diego to my Long Beach or the Duluth to my Minneapolis. Some place that is a little different from where you live and when you visit you might check out a museum or something but mostly you are just relaxing, enjoying the food, people and ambiance.
St Bavo’s Cathedral
We started at St Bavo’s Cathedral, a stunning Gothic Cathedral that stands on the site of 10th and 12th century churches. It has a gorgeous Baroque High Altar with a Rubens masterpiece and a Rococo pulpit but the star of the show is of course the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.
I am going to be honest. I didn’t really know what the big deal was about the altarpiece. I had seen pictures of it and wasn’t that impressed. My sister was excited to see it because of the movie Monuments Men.
We opted for the Augmented Reality tour which was an excellent choice. It gave a lot of history of the church and the altarpiece. I didn’t know much about it before visiting so it was great to have that background to get me up to speed. I loved seeing the AR overlay on the existing structures. It really immerses you in the history. I got more excited to see the altarpiece as I learned the story of its creation by the Van Eyck brothers and its multiple removals and returns to Ghent. What it did not prepare me for was its jaw dropping beauty and the exquisite detail.
I believe seeing art in real life is important. Digital representations or printed reproductions can be a great way to admire and learn about pieces but they always seem to be missing something. I don’t know whether it is the paint strokes or the perspective or the colors or a combination of all that and more that make it so much better IRL. This was never so apparent to me as it was when I was standing in front of the Ghent Altarpiece. I immediately realized what the big deal was.
I rarely take pictures of artwork because I know they will just fall flat. Sometimes I will purchase a postcard as a memento because I figure professionals with ideal lighting and angles have a better chance at capturing it than I do. I took pictures of the Hubert and Jan Van Eyck masterpiece and bought a printed, foldable altarpiece. They are fun to look at and nice as reminders of the visit but nothing matches the feeling of seeing it in person. Basically what I am saying is if you have a chance to see it, DO IT. Currently it is being restored at the art museum in Ghent and can be viewed on weekends there. It should be back at St Bavo’s later in 2024.
Gravensteen
Once I had my wits about me again we headed to Gravensteen, the Castle of the Counts, which still has an intact moat. The castle itself doesn’t have much staging or props. There are some displays of armor and weapons. I prefer when they are staged and you get a feeling of how it looked back in the day but it was still cool to visit. What made this castle interesting was the goofy audio guide. We loved hearing the stories and anecdotes, some of which were laugh out loud funny.
The plan was to visit a couple other museums but we had gone searching for this dedicated gluten free bakery, Chambelland, for my sister and of course got lost so we ended up having spritz o’clock (what I call happy hour when on vacation) and just enjoying the view of St Michael’s Bridge and the Graslei. Then we had dinner and chatted for hours with a nice couple next to us. We headed back to our hotel but decided to grab one more drink at this bar next door called The Alchemist. It was very busy but we shared a table with a friendly local couple. This is what made Ghent so appealing to me. Meeting and chatting with local people. Sharing stories. This didn’t happen when we were in Bruges or Brussels. It’s fun to share stories with other travelers but there is just something extra nice about meeting locals.
I believe for the most part people are good. I have had people help me figure out which train to take, direct me to what I am looking for constantly because I am always lost, offer recommendations on fun things to do and just be nice in general. Even in France, which I feel unfairly has a reputation for rudeness, people were very kind to us. We found that Belgians were above and beyond nice. I mean so much so that it really stood out in our minds. Ghent is the perfect place to get to know some Belgian people because as I said it is more of an everyday town than a tourist destination.
In our short time in Ghent we barely scratched the surface. There is so much more we wanted to see and do had we not spent a lot of our time lost and sick. I got a terrible stomach flu so our second day was pretty much spent in the hotel room. Below are some of the cool things we missed but will be checking out next time.
Ghent Belfry
We saw the Belfry, of course, it is pretty hard to miss, one of the three iconic towers of Ghent. What we missed was going inside this UNESCO World Heritage Site, seeing the dragon, the bells and the sweeping views from the top. Bonus- unlike most medieval towers there is an elevator from the first floor so you only have to go up one flight of steps instead of hundreds.
Canal Cruise
There are so many options to get out on the water in Ghent– barges, wooden boats, speedboats, canoes- the list goes on and on. Some are guided, some are through the canals in the city, others go out of town down the River Lys. With so many options you can pick whichever one works best for you.
There is also a hop on hop off water tram. You can buy tickets for one or two days. It makes 6 different stops throughout the city hitting the big tourist sights. Reminds me of the Batobus in Paris, which is my favorite. It’s an excellent way to get around the city and enjoy some time on the water for a great price.
Colorful Street Art
Ghent is street art friendly. Pedestrian street Werregarenstraatje in the center of town is a tolerance zone where authorities turn a blind eye to tagging, it became known as Graffiti Street. The walls act as an ever changing canvas for young artists. This is just one of several places to see Street Art in Ghent. There are guided tours or you can download a map on the VisitGent website.
St Nicolas Church
St Nicolas’ Church was originally built in the 11th century, was destroyed and rebuilt in the Flemish Schelde Gothic style by wealthy merchants. Its tower was built around 1300 making it the first belfry of the three that now grace Ghent’s skyline. Inside you will find various artworks inspired by the guilds, a baroque altar and stained glass.
Museum of Fine Arts
In Citadelpark, housed in a bright spacious building, the Museum voor Schone Kunsten or Fine Arts Museum has a wide and varied collection- from old masters to modernists. It features a variety of paintings, etchings, sculpture and tapestries from the religious art of the Middle ages to the 20th century.
STAM Ghent City Museum
STAM offers a look at the history of this vibrant city. It traces a chronological path from medieval beginnings to today and beyond. Multimedia exhibits, artwork and archeological finds make this trip through time entertaining as well as educational.