Ghent online travel guide
Weekend Ghent, the city of the eternal student
Belgium boasts some very cool and historical cities, among which Ghent stands out. It is truly a beautiful hidden gem. As you stroll along the Graslei, it feels like stepping into a fairy-tale town, with its towering cathedrals and historic buildings. Additionally, the lovely district Patershol offers a charming atmosphere where you can enjoy a drink among the locals. Moreover, immerse yourself in the Middle Ages as you explore the castle Gravensteen. In short, Ghent is one of the cities you should not miss when visiting Belgium. For good reason, so many students live here, it is also called the student city. My boyfriend and I together visited the city of Ghent with two Belgian friends we met during our trip to Panama. Have a look at my Ghent online travel guide!
Online Travel & Gem Guide
My number 1 in Ghent; The Patershol
If you go to Ghent, you should not miss this area, there are lots of nice shops/boutiques, very good restaurants and also a pleasant atmosphere. The surroundings are beautiful, as you walk along the waterfront into the lovely Patershol. During your walk via the Korenlei, you will pass the Marriott Hotel, which is 4 buildings that have been completely converted without being noticeable from the outside.
Parties in Ghent
Patersholfeesten
Obviously visit Ghent during the Patersholfeesten, there is a really nice atmosphere in Patershol area. The meaning of ‘feesten’ is parties in Dutch. When visiting Ghent during these parties, be sure to visit the Kaatsspelplein square. Here, you can enjoy a delicious Belgian beer among the locals. In the evening, the whole Patershol comes alive, and it is possible to order a beer anywhere along the street, the atmosphere is very pleasant, because Belgian people are very friendly. The Patershol celebrations usually take place around mid-August.
Gentse feesten
Most people know this festival, because with about 250,000 visitors every day, there is always something to do during this 10-day festival. The whole city is in the mood for partying! Plan your visit in time, as everything fills up quickly. It is one of the biggest folk festivals in Europe, along with Las Fallas in València and the Oktoberfest in München. These 10 days usually take place mid-July.
Gent Jazz festival
Just before the Genste feesten, you can experience Gent Jazz, which is a fantastic festival with good jazz live performances. The artists play their passion for this style of music with love. This jazz festival takes place before the Ghent Festivities, around the middle of July.
Reasons why we all should love Ghent?
#The centre is car-free
Personally, I think this is really great, no noise around you, you feel freer and quieter through the city without all those cars and motorbikes. Besides, it is also good for the CO2 emissions in the city. Take a leisurely stroll through the beautiful historic city. You can park your car on the edge of the centre, outside or in a car park.
#Evenings in Ghent are magical
In contrast to the days, evenings in Ghent are a whole other experience. In 1998, Ghent decided to start an integral lighting plan. This lighting ensures that the lovely buildings and their magnificent details are clearly visible; during the day, they are less noticeable. This makes the city more glorious and magical in the evening.
#Attention to every detail, check out some lovely facades
Surprisingly, Ghent has a lot of wonderful facades, some even with all kinds of figures and beautiful sayings. So take a good look and admire all the amazing facades these houses have.
#Street art Ghent
Just like the Belgian city Antwerp, Ghent has a lot of street art. In fact, you will find amazingly works of art all over the city. With the app “Street Art Cities” you can follow your own tour.
#Manneke Pis, but also Vrouwkes Pis
In Brussels, you will find the famous statue of “Manneke Pis”, but in Ghent you will also find two “Vrouwkes Pis”, namely: Lena & Luna. The Manneke Pis is called Nestor. Manneke Pis directly means “little man piss” and Vrouwke is the female version. You can find them on Kraanlei, and they are sometimes dressed up for special occasions, such as the Patersholfeesten.
Sights in this Ghent online travel guide
Castle Gravensteen
Gravensteen dates back to 1180 and is a beautiful medieval castle where you can learn more about the castle and what happened here. This is the only medieval castle that is left in Flanders. There are many weapons on display that were used in those times. What is special about it that some of them are very nicely detailed. Have a nice walk, book your tickets online and skip the line.
The three towers of Ghent
Ghent is full of gigantic, historical cathedrals and churches. As indicated, you can see the 3 towers magnificently from the Graslei and especially if you walk down the bridge.
St Bavo’s Cathedral
The largest is the St Bavo’s Cathedral, which you can enter for free. Here you will also find the work of art, the Mystic Lamb, for which people come to Ghent especially. This work of art was made around 1430 by the two brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck. It is extremely well detailed, just unbelievable. Tickets cost around €12.50 p.p. (adult rate).
St Nicholas Church & The clock on the 'Goudenleeuwplein'
St Nicholas Church is also free to visit and, from the outside, it is a particular masterpiece, so enormous and wonderful. In addition, you have the Belfry, which dates from 1380, and it is possible to climb this tower, from here you have amazing views of the city. But these views also had a function in the past, for example a huge fire was prevented by having a view from this tower. The clock on the Goudenleeuwplein (Golden Lion Square) served as a warning against the huge fire at the top of the tower, and they managed to keep the fire under control at that time. It has been preserved as a beautiful memento for the people of the city.
More bells and towers?
Yes, Ghent has many tall and lovely historic buildings, including a bell tower that looks a bit like the Big Ben in London. This was the old post office of Ghent, built in the early 1900s and can be seen beautifully from Korenlei.
Korenstapelhuis
Right behind this charming clock tower, you will find the Korenstapelhuis by the water. This is one of the oldest examples of civil Romanesque architecture in the Low Countries. This is a guildhall from the 12th century and is called “Spijker”.
On the picture you can see the Korenstapelhuis on the left and the bell tower in the middle.
Town hall of Ghent
Should you not yet had enough of those historical buildings, the town hall is also a wonderful sight to see. With its special architecture, this is a beautiful town hall in the middle of the city. There are many statues of great knights and emperors, such as Charlemagne (Charles le Main).
St James' church
Following with, the last church in my article: the St. James’s Church. This medieval church still has a real old look to it, and has astonishing golden shells on the floor. Those are also known as the Jacobs shell.
Ghent is a student city
As you already read in my Ghent online travel guide, this city is a student city. Consequently, because of the many parties and cosy atmosphere, there is always something to do. That is why you see so many students sitting in the park, on the terrace or having a nice party in the evening. I spoke to some locals who said that they came here as students and never left, that alone says a lot about this cool city!
The best bars and restaurants?
- Hot club Gent, if you are into jazz, you must visit this place, just go through a small alley and you will find the club
- Café ‘t Galgenhuis is one of the smallest café’s in Ghent and has been around for a long time
- Mosquito Coast, just try some delicious tapas such as Teriyaki spare Ribs and Scampi Fritti
- Patrick Foley’s Irish Pub and Restaurant with a wonderful painting and good Belgium or Irish dishes
- FranzGustav, located just out of the centre for a delicious breakfast/lunch
Last update: 20-02-2024 © Doris Leone
