Discover Ghent

A taste of Ghent

Ghent is what Bruges might have been if a serious university and a hundred thousand students had moved in — just as historic, much more lived-in. Two medieval skyscrapers anchor the centre: St. Bavo's Cathedral, home to Jan and Hubert van Eyck's astonishing Ghent Altarpiece (the Mystic Lamb, 1432, recently restored to reveal a startlingly human-faced Christ); and the Belfort, a UNESCO-listed bell tower that, with the cathedral and nearby St. Nicholas's Church, makes the three-tower postcard view from St. Michael's Bridge. The 12th-century Gravensteen castle still has its moat, drawbridge, and an enjoyably grim torture collection. The Graslei and Korenlei — lines of guild houses lining the old harbour on the river Leie — are best at sunset, when the lights come on. Wedge in a visit to the Patershol's medieval lanes for dinner; the city has a strong veggie tradition (Donderdag Veggiedag started here in 2009) and excellent local breweries.