One day in Ghent, Belgium: How to make the most of your visit.

Ghent (Gent in Flemish) is a vibrant port and university city located in the northwest of Belgium between Bruges and Brussels. Well known for its relatively well-preserved medieval architecture. Ghent became one of the largest and richest cities in Belgium in the late Middle Ages and today is the third largest city in the country.

Ghent has always been a city that has intrigued me with its medieval architecture and interesting history. I didn’t have much planned over the school May holiday, so I decided to finally take a solo day trip there.

Given that it was a walking, boating, outdoor exploring trip, I wanted to go when the weather would be warmer and drier.

The transport links to the city are quite good. There are regular trains from other cities in Belgium: Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp.

I was travelling from the Netherlands so took the Flix Bus to Ghent from Amsterdam. I decided to take this route as it was a direct route into Ghent. There are trains from the Netherlands to Belgium; however, you’d need to change at Brussels or Antwerp.

Honestly, as soon as you make your way into the centre, you feel as though you’ve stepped into some sort of fairytale. With magnificent medieval Gothic architecture, cobbled streets and just so much history.  

These three towers dominate the skyline of the city. St Nicholas’ Church, St Bavo’s Cathedral and Belfry of Ghent. If you stand on St Michael’s Bridge, you can get a photo of all three towers.

Just to stand back and look and take in the scenery is like something out of a Disney movie! It’s just so picturesque and beautiful.

This Roman Catholic Cathedral stands 89 metres high in the centre of Ghent. It was constructed in 1274, with the works being completed in 1569. A truly grand and magnificent architectural building. Be sure to check out the stained glass windows. This is also where you’ll find the Ghent altarpiece, the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.

It is open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday to Saturday and from 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm on Sundays. Entry into the Cathedral is free.

Built using Tournai bluestone in the 13th Century, this Roman Catholic Church is an excellent example of Scheldt Gothic style. The church was used as a spiritual place for merchants and sailors.

It is one of the oldest and most prominent landmarks in the city. It is also the oldest of the three towers.

The church is open every day from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and is free to go inside.

The Belfry is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also an important symbol of the city’s past. At 91 metres tall, it is the tallest of the three towers.

It stands proud overlooking the city as a beautifully designed building of Gothic architecture. The Belfry symbolises independence and prosperity in Ghent. With the historic dragon guarding the city’s heart.

Over the centuries, the Belfry has been used for several purposes, including a watch tower and alarm to warn people of fires, intrusions and other emergencies. A watchman also rang the bells to regulate daily life up until 1869. It has also been used to store legal documents in a secret chamber.

The Belfry is open every day from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Entry is free for people with a Ghent city card or 13 euros for adults without a city card. Entry for under 25s is 6.50 euros, 2.60 euros for under 18s and free entry for under 12s.

This iconic Gothic stone arch bridge was completed in 1910. It spans the Leie River and offers panoramic views of the city. It is a must-walk both over and under the bridge to experience and admire its architecture and that of the city itself. The bridge makes for a romantic walk and some great Insta moments!

This magnificent medieval fortress stands in the heart of the city. Also known as the Castle of Counts, it was built in 1180 as a symbol of power over Ghent and its people. It is where the Counts of Flanders lived until 1353. After which it was used for several other purposes, such as a courthouse, prison, mint and a cotton mill during the Industrial Revolution. It is now a museum featuring medieval history, architecture, and judicial artefacts, including medieval armour, weapons and torture devices.

This is definitely a must-see experience to put on your sightseeing list! It is truly spectacular. Almost like walking back in time, the architecture is so beautiful and well maintained that you really do get a feel of what it must have been like in the past.

Located near the Gravensteen (Castle of Counts), this medieval neighbourhood with its winding, cobbled narrow streets is a real treat to take a stroll. It isn’t as busy as some of the other areas in the main touristy parts of the city. So, it can also be a little quiet escape from the bustling crowds. Very much needed at times!

As well as its winding cobblestoned streets, it also showcases traditional brick houses with 17th–18th–century facades alongside remnants of old monasteries. It is also known for being the culinary hub of Ghent, where you can find traditional Flemish dishes alongside worldwide cuisines.  

What a beautiful place to take a walk or grab a drink and watch the world go by!

Boats and trading have taken place here since the 11th Century, and with that come fascinating and interesting stories that you can learn more about on one of the walking or boat tours of the city.

It’s just too easy to spend a sunny afternoon on a terrace or dangling your feet over the quay watching the world go by in the simply beautiful and picturesque scenery.

The intricate detail in this architectural building is just superb! Situated opposite St Nicholas’s church, Mason’s Guild Hall was built on top of a 13th-century cellar. The 16th-century Hall building showcases six figures dancing. Originally designed to dance in the wind, but unfortunately the figures were too heavy!

You will also notice the Mason’s Guild Hall in the Graslei area. That is because a replica of the Hall was built in 1913 for the World Exhibition. It was built using the original plans and so looks almost identical to the original.

This is a more modern architectural building in the city. The structure, predominantly made from wood and glass, was built in 2012 and sits in the heart of the city centre.

The city hall is a four-sided building that is in two parts, which you can identify as you walk along and around the building. It is a very interesting building of late Gothic design with approximately fifty rooms inside.

There is also a wedding chapel inside where couples can make their vows.

There are plenty of places in Ghent to grab a beer on a sunny terrace. Wherever looks appealing really!

I opted to sit along Graslei and Korenlei harbor at Meraki for a while and sample one of the local beers, Gruut Blond, which I can personally recommend!

A narrow, fairly short walk through an alleyway of street graffiti. The alleyway is a legal space for graffiti artists to showcase their work. It is quite interesting to see graffiti artwork from worldwide graffiti artists.

Every square inch has some sort of colour or design. The walking tour guide explained how the alleyway is often repainted white, again providing a fresh canvas for the graffiti artists, but it doesn’t stay white for very long!

Taking a boat tour along the canals is a fantastic way to see the city at a different angle, and give your legs a bit of a rest! The captain taking the tour was a funny, super friendly and very knowledgeable local.

During the tour you’ll hear some interesting, funny and a few pretty gross historical stories about the city. Like the story of Isabella Yellow, the Industrial Revolution and Belgian beer recommendations.

The tour lasts about 50 minutes, with a boat tour leaving every few minutes from 10:00 am to around 6:00 pm and costs about 10 euros.

A more modern structure, the Bridge of Imperial Pleasures was built over the Leie River in 2000. The four sculptures on either end of the bridge are a tribute to Charles V, the Roman Emperor.

Each represents a different legend about events in the Emperor’s life.

These include Charles as a ship puller and seducing young women. All of which were aspects of his character and personality.

The bridge represents part of the city’s rich history and also demonstrates the local people’s engagement with their heritage.

You can take a walk over the bridge, and it is also part of the boat tour.

The bronze statue, Manneken Pis Nestor, has been in the city for quite some time. It is a fun, playful take on the famous Manneken of Brussels, but without peeing. He was recently joined by Lena and Luna in 2014 on either side.

There is also a fourth Pis statue in the city at The House of Alijn.

The statue can be viewed from the street or during a boat tour. The captain of the boat tour told us how in medieval times how urine was considered ‘liquid gold’ in terms of generating ammonia and nitrogen.

Boys sold their urine to textile companies for leather tanning and for gunpowder production. The boys then came up with the idea that they could sell more by adding water, but obviously it wasn’t as good quality. So they needed someone to check it. And so, it actually became someone’s job to be a p!ss taster! Pretty gross!

I highly recommend taking a walking tour. The tour guide for our group, Tatiana, was a very knowledgeable, passionate local. She told us in detail different stories and legends from around the city, like the idea of the two golden swans, the best place in the city to get Belgian fries and the importance of the seaport in the city’s history.

This unique little shop allows you to buy a book with a matching drink.

What could be more perfect on a quiet Summer’s or Winter’s evening!

I found this a cute, interesting little place. It was fun just to take a stroll around and see which drinks were strategically paired with particular genres.

But honestly, just the décor and how the shop is arranged itself was just fascinating!

They are open from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm every day except Monday.

Check it out here before you go…

I’d been informed by the walking tour guide and another local that the best place to get traditional Belgian fries was at Frituur Bij Filip. And it certainly didn’t disappoint! However, I’m not entirely sure if there is a vegetarian option here.

With little seating by the stand, the bar opposite allows you to eat your fries on the terrace, provided you buy a drink and take your rubbish with you. Pretty reasonable I think.

I would definitely recommend getting and eating fries here.

Known as cuberdons. They are cone-shaped, raspberry-flavoured purple sweets filled with syrup. They also come in other colours, but purple cuberdons are the primary colour and more well-known.

Often referred to as Gentse neus (Ghent nose) or neuzeke (little nose) in Dutch due to their shape.

You’ll find them being sold on stands around various places in the city centre.

No Belgium trip is complete without visiting a chocolate shop or two! right? It’s worth going in just to see some of the décor and creative designs made solely from chocolate as well as getting some chocolate gifts to take home. I visited Theo and Artisan.

Waffles are, of course, a Belgian delicacy! However, I didn’t have a waffle on this occasion, but I did notice that in Ghent waffles were being served with a sprinkle of sugar or with cream and strawberries. But, unlike me, if waffles is something that is on your itinerary you can even take a waffle making class!

If you’re planning on staying longer than a day, Ghent has plenty of hotel choices available.

Ghent is quite simply the perfect city for a day or weekend trip. Full of charm, history and beautiful medieval Gothic architecture. There’s just so much to see and learn about at each turn and narrow cobbled street. Taking a walking or boat trip will most certainly give you much more insight into the city’s history and heritage from locals. I’m so glad I did both!

I think if I were to visit again, I would get a CityCard in order to experience some of the museums Ghent has to offer and the Royal Dutch Theater. But perhaps that’s something for a wintertime visit to Ghent!  

However, I found taking a day trip was great, and there was certainly enough time to see and experience the city. But I wish I’d spent the night or at least stayed until after dark to experience walking through the city lit up. Perhaps next time!