Leading up to my trip to Belgium, everyone that I talked to told me that I needed to do a day trip to Bruges, so that was my original plan. I had heard a little bit about Ghent too but figured that I wouldn’t have time to do both. After chatting with a bartender during my stay in Amsterdam I decided that I really wanted to try to fit Ghent in as well. According to the bartender, Ghent had a lot of the same medieval charm as Bruges but was less touristy. Not having a full day to dedicate to each city, I decided to split one day between both cities and it worked out pretty well. Ghent was on the way to Bruges from Brussels, so I only needed to buy one round trip train ticket to Bruges and was able to hop off and back on in Ghent.
I left super early in the morning and arrived in an overcast Ghent before the town was fully awake, and took a tram from the train station into the heart of the city.
My first stop was Sint-Baafsabdij (Saint Bavo’s Abbey), a former abbey dating back to the 7th century. Unfortunately the abbey was closed to visitors on the day of the week that I went, so I took in as much as I could from outside the walls.
Next I walked past Geeraard de Duivelsteen (Geeraard the Devil Castle), a foreboding gothic building sitting next to a canal. The building has been used for a lengthy list of purposes in its long history, including a knight’s residence, an armory, a monastery, a school, a seminary, an insane asylum, a prison, a fire station, and the national archive.
Next I visited Sint-Baafskathedraal (St. Bavo’s Cathedral), a gothic cathedral built between the 13th and 16th centuries.
Just across a small square from the cathedral is one of Ghent’s most iconic sites, the Belfort van Gent (Belfry of Ghent). This belfry was built between 1313-1380 and is part of a larger set of belfries throughout Belgium and France that make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
From there I wandered out to the scenic Leie River, admiring the historic architecture of Graslei as I made my way to my next destination Gravensteen.
Gravensteen is a medieval castle built in 1180 that served as the residence for the Counts of Flanders – its name literally translates to “Castle of the Counts.” Its stone walls are both beautiful and foreboding, and it is complete with a moat. Today it is open as a museum, where an audio tour walks you through the ins and outs of medieval castle life as you navigate the castle’s corridors and winding staircases. Part of the tour takes you to the very top of the castle, with panoramic views of Ghent. Visiting Gravensteen was one of the true highlights of this day trip. It made me feel like a kid visiting a fairytale come to life.
Another cool building just around the corner from Gravensteen is the Groot Vleeshuis, an old covered market building that was built in 1408-1417 and served as the primary marketplace for the sale of meat.
After Gravensteen, I did a quick walkthrough of Vrijdagmarkt (Friday Market), one of Ghent’s oldest city squares which hosts a public market every Friday and Saturday. It was sensory overload walking through all the stalls of fresh food and goods.
On the way back towards the train station I stopped along Korenmarkt for a tasty lunch at Wasbar, a trendy Belgian restaurant chain where you can also do your laundry while grabbing something tasty to eat!
I’m so glad I was able to fit Ghent into the trip. While I did enjoy Bruges (more on that to come!), I tend to agree with the bartender who recommended Ghent to me that it has a lot of the same charm as Bruges with maybe a few less tourists, and Gravensteen was way too cool to pass up. I think I fell in love with Ghent!
C to Shining C 