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Ghent

Belgium & Luxembourg Travel Guide

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Evening in the lively city of Ghent, Belgium

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Overview

Despite being one of Belgium's oldest cities, Ghent remains small enough to feel cosy but big enough to be a vibrant, relevant centre for trade and culture. There's a wealth of medieval and classical architecture here, contrasted by large post-industrial areas undergoing urban renewal that give Ghent a gritty-but-good industrial feel.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Officials unveil the restored exterior panels of "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb", an altar piece painted by the Van Eyck brothers in 1432, at Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent on October 12, 2016. .The restoration of the exterior panels and frames started in 2012, and constitutes the first phase of restauration which will be followed by two other phases for the interior panels and is set to last until 2020. / AFP / EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)

    The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb

    Ghent

    Art enthusiasts swarm the Sint-Baafskathedraal to glimpse The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (De Aanbidding van het Lams God), a lavish representation of…

  • Belgium, Ghent

    Gravensteen

    Ghent

    Flanders’ quintessential 12th-century stone castle comes complete with moat, turrets and arrow slits. It’s all the more remarkable considering that during…

  • Belfort

    Belfort

    Ghent

    Ghent’s Unesco-listed 14th-century belfry (91m) is topped by a large dragon weathervane: he's become something of a city mascot. You’ll meet two previous…

  • MSK

    MSK

    Ghent

    Styled like a Greek temple, this superb 1903 fine-art gallery introduces a veritable A–Z of great Belgian and other Low Countries' painters from the 14th…

  • Sint-Baafskathedraal

    Sint-Baafskathedraal

    Ghent

    This cathedral's towering interior has some fine stained glass and an unusual combination of brick vaulting with stone tracery. A €0.20 leaflet guides you…

  • St-Pietersabdij

    St-Pietersabdij

    Ghent

    Once the country’s biggest abbey, St-Pieters was the original centre around which Ghent grew. Its fabulous wealth evaporated after French revolutionary…

  • Kasteel Ooidonk

    Kasteel Ooidonk

    Ghent

    Thought to have been originally constructed around the 13th and 14th centuries, and reconstructed in 1595 after much savagery and repeated pillaging,…

  • STAM

    STAM

    Ghent

    Shoehorned into a 17th-century former nunnery-hospital complex, this fabulous, architecturally striking, ultra-modern museum does a very thorough job of…

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Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Experience the best things to do in Ghent, from vibrant festivals and cozy cafes to unique museums, with this guide to the region’s top attractions.

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