Photo Galleries
Ghent
August 2015
Ghent was by far our favorite city in Flanders. It has plenty of things for visitors to enjoy: a castle, a cathedral and other grand churches, river fronts lined with beautiful old houses, fascinating museums about history and art, cobbled streets, sidewalk cafes, good shops and restaurants, and wonderful chocolate. Despite all of that, Ghent has far fewer visitors than places like Bruges or Amsterdam, and the presence of a university keeps it feeling young and lively. It’s a great place to savor medieval churches and guild halls, stroll picturesque old streets, sip a drink in a riverfront cafe, or learn about Flemish history and architecture at leisure without being swallowed by crowds of tourists.
A wall of street art based on themes from the history of Ghent
Crisscrossed by rivers and canals, Ghent is a good place to see by boat
An opulent houseboat
A fancy house's riverside gazebo
An old fortress house now used as a government office
Standup paddleboarding on the Leie River in the center of the city
You can get almost anywhere in central Ghent on foot or by blue tram
Relaxing on the riverside
The building on the left is one of the prettiest Marriott hotels around. The tan house with the gold ship on top was reportedly once a very high class bordello.
Some of Ghent's riverfront facades were built in the early 1900s to give the city a pleasing look for the 1913 World's Fair
One of the pleasures of Ghent is sidewalk cafes in front of picturesque buildings
The old (19th-century) post office, soon to become a shopping complex
The former post office on the left and St. Nicholas's church in the background
The rear view of 13th-century St. Nicholas's church
Ghent's two-part city hall: the section on the right was built in the 1500s in flamboyant Gothic style, and the section on the left in the 1600s in Italian Renaissance style
Statues of some of the counts of Flanders on the city hall
Near the city hall, this modern acoustic pavillion for concerts and lectures is a controversial addition to the old cityscape
Ghent's 14th-century clock tower was built as a monument to civic pride
At the base of the clock tower is the 15th-century cloth hall, where merchants had their wares inspected before selling them
Much of Ghent's wealth was built on the cloth trade
Comic books in a shop window; comics are considered an important part of 20th-century Belgian culture
A statue of Jacob van Artevelde, a 14th-century anti-French leader, dominates the Friday Market square
This enormous iron seige gun, nicknamed Dulle Griet (Mad Meg), was built in the 1400s
Another view of the pleasant Friday Market square
An old firehouse on the Friday Market square
Ghent's old meat hall, the only place in the central city where meat could be sold
Much gaudier is the entrance to the old fish market, featuring Poseidon and statues representing Ghent's rivers
The 12th-century castle of the counts of Flanders, restored in the 20th century (the lighter parts are newer)
The river side of the castle
Old weapons displayed in the castle include this huge broadsword
The lion flag of Flanders flies over the ramparts of the castle
View over Ghent from the top of the castle
Looking down on the castle gatehouse
Parts of the back of the castle are still unrestored
The facade of this house features statues of former kings . . .
. . . including Charles V (king of Flanders and Spain and Holy Roman Emperor), who was born in Ghent in 1500
One of Ghent's many artisanal chocolate shops
This alley, Werregarensteeg, is dedicated to ever-changing street art
