Ghent travel guide
Ghent (Gent), the capital of the province of East Flanders and harbouring a population of 250,000, has for centuries been the focal point of the Flemish nationality. As is the case with other major Flemish cities, Ghent owes its historical importance to the cloth trade. The city flourished during the Middle Ages, and there was even a period, around the turn of the 14th century, when it was the second-largest city north of the Alps; only Paris was then bigger. Today it is the third-largest industrial region in Belgium and the country’s second-largest port; its harbour is connected to the North Sea by canal. The city’s economy revolves around the chemical, steel and automobile industries, as well as publishing and banking. It is also a youthful university town.
Top places to visit in Ghent
Sint-Baafskathedraal (St Bavo’s Cathedral)
Sint Baafsplein
The largely Gothic brick and granite Sint-Baafskathedraal was constructed over the course of several centuries, the chancel dating from the turn of the 14th century, both the tower and the nave from the 15th century, and the transept from the mid-16th century. In the nave a forest of stone leads the eye upwards to a glorious late Gothic display of rib vaulting in the roof.
The cathedral’s greatest treasure is located in a side chapel to the left of the main entrance. Variously known as the Ghent Altarpiece or The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, this marvellous panel painting is regarded as the crowning achievement of Jan van Eyck’s Gothic style, which broke completely with medieval ideas and styles and instituted a new kind of realism.
There are many other important works of art in the cathedral. Rubens’ painting of 1624, The Conversion of St Bavo, is full of the unique drama with which the artist infused all his work. Also of interest is Frans Pourbus the Elder’s Christ Among the Doctors, painted in 1571. Down in the crypt is the striking Calvary Tryptych of Justus van Gent, painted in 1466.
You will also find splendid examples of sculpture, the best of which is the Baroque oak and marble pulpit, one of Laurent Delvaux’s masterpieces, completed in 1741. St Bavo himself is commemorated in the Baroque high altar of sculptor Hendrik Frans Verbruggen.
The Belfort
Opposite the cathedral, the Belfort (Belfry), completed in 1380, has since become the pre-eminent symbol of the city’s independence. A vertiginous lift ascent to the top of the 91m (298ft) tower will reward you with spectacular views across the city. The gilded copper dragon at the top of the spire was first installed upon completion of the tower, but the creature and the four figures now poised at the corners of the viewing platform are modern replicas. The spire itself was restored at the beginning of the 20th century according to the original 14th-century design. The impressive workings of the clock and the 52-bell carillon can be closely inspected on the fourth floor.
Stadhuis (Town Hall)
Botermarkt 1
The Stadhuis is like a catalogue of architecture: the oldest part of the building (on the Hoogpoort side) dates from the early 16th century and, with its florid design and ornate statues, follows the style of Bruges’ Stadhuis. Religious disputes in 1539 and the economic decline of Ghent halted the work for some 60 years. Work began again with the Renaissance-style facade of the Botermarkt side of the hall; it was continued in the 18th century with the Baroque facade facing the corner of Hoogpoort and Stadhuissteeg and the rococo Poeljemarkt side. The throne room and an impressive city council room are accessible to visitors.
Korenlei and Graslei
North from Sint-Michielsbrug, you can stroll on both banks of the river, past a splendid array of medieval guild houses on the quaysides. Korenlei, on the left, and Graslei, on the right, comprise Ghent’s oldest harbour, the Tussen Bruggen (Between the Bridges). This area was the commercial heart of the medieval city and the place where Ghent’s wealthy guilds chose to build.
Along Korenlei, buildings to watch out for include the Gildehuis van de Onvrije Schippers (House of the Tied Boatmen), at No. 7, built in 1739, an excellent example of Flemish Baroque, with spectacular dolphins and lions adorning the gables and a gilded ship crowning the roof; and the 16th-century De Zwane (The Swan) at No. 9, a former brewery that has a graceful swan depicted in two carvings on the gables.
Look over the water to Graslei for a view of the even finer houses on that quay before crossing for a closer inspection. The Gildehuis van de Vrije Schippers (House of the Free Boatmen) was built in 1531, in Brabant Gothic style, while next door, the second Baroque Gildehuis van de Graanmeters (House of the Grain Weighers) dates back to 1698. The little Tolhuisje (Customs House), built in 1682 in a narrow alley, looks like an attractive Renaissance afterthought. Next door is the Romanesque-style Het Spijker, also known as Koornstapelhuis (a former grain warehouse), dating from about 1200, and on the other side is the Korenmetershuis (Corn Measurer’s house), followed by the Gothic Gildehuis van de Metselaars (House of the Masons), dating from 1527 and built in Brabant Gothic style.
's Gravensteen
A heavily renovated island fortress, the Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts) is still a powerful and ominous presence here, with massive fortifications comprising crenellated cylindrical towers and a vast brooding keep. Work began on the structure in 1180 on the orders of Philip of Alsace, on the site of a 9th-century castle. The building was closely modelled on the Crusader castles of the Holy Land; a climb along the battlements (particularly at the top of the keep) provides excellent views and a welcome blast of fresh air. A tunnel leads to the central courtyard, which is surrounded by turreted walls, and the central keep may be reached via a spiral staircase. Inside, the keep contains the living quarters of a succession of Counts of Flanders, including the impressive Great Hall where Philip the Good fêted the Knights of the Golden Fleece in 1445.
Het Huis van Alijn (Alijn House)
65 Kraanlei
tel: 09 269 23 50
Kraanlei is lined with fine houses; at No. 65 the almshouses are now home to Het Huis van Alijn, the city’s folklore museum. Built in 1363, this beautifully restored complex is comprised of 18 interconnected cottages arranged around a courtyard. Each room is decorated in the style typical of the years around 1900. The everyday life of working people is evoked through the items and tools they would have known and used and the few luxuries they could afford.
