By rail
Gent-Sint-Pieters, ~30 min from Brussels
Europe · Belgium
Ghent, Belgium
A lively medieval university city
Getting there
By air
Brussels (BRU), ~1 h
Best time to visit
April to September — mild
Don't miss
St Bavo's Cathedral
The Gravensteen
The Graslei
The Belfry
Things to do
The Ghent Altarpiece
The Gravensteen castle
Canal boats
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Moyogo · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Layers
A quieter corner
Graffiti Street (Werregarenstraat)
Questions travellers ask
How quickly can I reach Ghent from Brussels?
Trains reach Gent-Sint-Pieters in about 30 minutes. Brussels (BRU) airport is about 1 hour away.
What are Ghent's must-sees?
The Ghent Altarpiece, St Bavo's Cathedral, the Gravensteen castle, the Graslei and the Belfry. Take a canal boat, too.
What is Graffiti Street in Ghent?
It's the Werregarenstraat, one of Ghent's hidden gems.
When's the ideal time for Ghent?
April to September, when it's mild. Try waterzooi while you're there.
About Ghent
- Riverside
Where it is
Ghent is the capital of the province of East Flanders in Belgium, at the confluence of the Scheldt and Leie rivers, between Brussels and Bruges.
History
Ghent grew around two abbeys founded by Saint Amand around 650, and by the 13th century it was the biggest city in Europe north of the Alps after Paris, rich from making cloth. Its textile industry flourished again in the 18th and 19th centuries, and in 1800 the first mechanical weaving machine on the European continent was introduced in Ghent.
People
Ghent's people speak Dutch in its East Flemish form, and Ghent University gives the city a large student population. The Gentse Feesten fill the streets with music and theatre for ten days every summer, and the city promotes a weekly meat-free Thursday, Donderdag Veggiedag.
Known for
- The Ghent Altarpiece in St Bavo's Cathedral
- The Gravensteen castle
- The Graslei and Korenlei quays
- The ten-day Ghent Festival each July
- Graffiti Street
Did you know?
The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who ruled Spain, the Low Countries and much of the Americas, was born in Ghent in 1500.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.