Ghent

Ghent is one of Belgium's grandest and most atmospheric medieval cities, a wealthy former cloth town whose skyline of towers rises above the waters of the Leie and Scheldt. A living, student-filled city rather than a museum piece, it boasts the moated castle of the Counts, the row of stepped guild houses on the Graslei quay, and in its cathedral the celebrated Ghent Altarpiece, a masterpiece of early Flemish painting.

History

People lived where the Scheldt meets the Leie from the Stone Age, and the old name Ganda probably comes from a Celtic word for confluence; around 650 Saint Amand founded the abbeys of St. Peter and St. Bavo, and around 800 Charlemagne's biographer Einhard was made abbot of both, though Vikings plundered the town in 851 and 879. Under the counts of Flanders it flourished from the 11th century, and by the 13th it was the largest city in Europe north of the Alps after Paris, with up to 65,000 people and Europe's leading woollen cloth industry, 4,000 weavers and 1,200 fullers by the middle of the century; it rose against Burgundian taxes and was crushed at Gavere in 1453, and Charles V, born here in 1500, punished the city after its revolt of 1539 (Wikipedia, Ghent).

What you'll find

• The medieval towers - the skyline of the cathedral, belfry and St Nicholas.
• The Gravensteen - the moated castle of the Counts of Flanders.
• The Graslei - the row of stepped guild houses along the water.
• The Ghent Altarpiece - the celebrated Van Eyck masterpiece in the cathedral.

When to go

Spring to autumn for the best weather and boat trips along the canals; the city is lively year-round thanks to its students. It is an easy day trip from Brussels and easily combined with Bruges.

Things to know

It is less chocolate-box perfect than Bruges but more lived-in and less touristy, which many prefer. The famous altarpiece charges entry and can queue. It is a working city, so it blends grand history with everyday student life, an atmosphere rather than a single sight.

Nearby

Bruges is a short train ride; Brussels and Antwerp are close.

Key facts