To be very honest, I had never even heard of Ghent until 3 days before I visited. It’s in Belgium by the way, just in case you are as blissfully ignorant as I once was, and it just might be the secret city you never knew about.
Why you should visit Ghent
Ghent is geographically parked (almost) halfway between Bruges & Brussels, which means that you can get there on a train in approximately 30 minutes – from either city.
Ghent is also the perfect in-between of the two well-known destinations that sandwich it: the heart of the city has all the romantic, medieval charm of Bruges while also emanating the bustling vibes and urban city life of Brussels, which gives it an upbeat pulse without being clogged with tourists (for now).
I only had four nights in Belgium, so here’s how I found the time for all three cities:
- Hopped from the plane to the Airport Train, which departs from inside Brussels Airport (BRU)
- Took the train directly to Bruges for two nights (Approx. 1.5 hours)
- Took the train from Bruges to Ghent for one night (approx. 25 mins)
- Took the train from Ghent to Brussels for one night (approx 35 mins)
- Took the train from Brussels back to Brussels Airport (BRU) – which is a actually a little bit out of the city
What to see and do in Ghent
My trip only allowed for a 24- hour glimpse into Ghent city, which meant that I only really scratched the surface of its canal-side culture and vibrancy, but the heart of the city is small enough to explore entirely on foot. Here are my top 5 things to do in Ghent to allow for a little taste of everything in a short amount of time and on a small budget:
1. Belfort for the history, but mostly for the views. Belfort is a fourteenth-century, UNESCO-listed belfry (bell tower) with 360-degree views of Ghent. I had visited the belfry in Bruges the day before, so I wasn’t overly excited about the idea of climbing another narrow, winding stairway to the top, but there were so few tourists that it was actually enjoyable. There are no windows at the top, so you can walk the perimeter and, if you’re into photography, take some city shots with unobstructed views for an entrance fee of five euros.
2. Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant for the canal-side beer(s). Walking into this pub is like walking into the past; it’s a stone-walled watering hole with wooden tables and chairs; the bar is lined with beer bottles and Belgium beer taps. It’s the kind of place where you can sit on the outdoor terrace overlooking the canal during summer or cosy-up inside during winter. Either way it’s good for a beer – they serve some of their own brews too.
3. Werregarensteeg for the street art. When I was in Boston, I stumbled across Graffiti Alley and later learned that its sole purpose is to give graffiti artists a welcoming space to express themselves without getting arrested. Werregarensteeg (also known as Graffitistraatje) is a graffiti street in Ghent that has the similar concept of embracing graffiti as an art form. It’s a winding street that pops with colour and is definitely worth a quick walkthrough while in Ghent – photo fails here.
4. Amadeus in the Patershol neighbourhood for the cobbled lanes and all-you-can-eat ribs for 16 euro. Yes, you read that correctly; Amadeus is a restaurant that is “famous for ribs and Irish coffee” – not sure where the Irish Coffee fame came from exactly, but I went there and tried both and neither disappointed. In fact, the only thing that did disappoint was my appetite; I failed to get past the first, giant-sized serving of ribs. This place is super popular and really simple in its approach to pleasing people: lively atmosphere, good food and attentive waiters topping you up with more ribs.
5. The Grasburg bridge area for views along Graslei (Ghent’s quay) and a wide-angle view of the city centre’s Flemish architecture. There’s something refreshingly satisfying about getting lost in new cities, and I loved wandering through Ghent city because there is so much life but also so much history. If you head down to the Grasburg bridge area as the sun goes down, you can get some great shots of the city in its best light.
Also, I stumbled across a few other things to do in Ghent that were highly ‘recommended’ online. I discovered them all at a quick glance but, quite honestly, you can totally skip them if you’re short on time:
- Gravensteen Castle – I walked its perimeter but arrived at the visitor centre about 5 minutes after it closed for the evening (the long European summers deceive you into thinking it’s still mid-afternoon). It’s a 14th-century castle, but other than its restored shell, there isn’t too much going on – especially for those who don’t like guided audio-visual tours.
- The canal cruises – if you have or plan to do the Bruges canal tour, then there isn’t much need to do the Ghent canal cruise, unless you just don’t want to walk around the city. The cruise takes about 40 minutes; I didn’t do it.
- St.Baafskathedral – I really felt like St.Baaf’s cathedral was overrated and only spent about 5 minutes inside. Maybe I’m just ignorant to its beauty.
Given that I was travelling solo with a backpack, I stayed on the outskirts of the city in Hotel Astoria for the decent price, the nearby location of the train station and access to the Lijn line – the Lijn is the tram that runs right through and around Ghent.
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