Gand (Belgium)

When people think of a day trip to Belgium most immediately think of Brussels and I would not argue, Brussels is well worth seeing. After that Bruges is probably the next most popular choice and again having visited it I can see why. But I would also make the case for a visit to Gent which is underrated and in my view as pretty as most Belgian cities.

Gent is only half an hour away from Bruges. It is similar in architecture but there ...
...all quite flat so walking around is no problem. The tourist information offices have a very useful free guide which details some suggested walking tours taking from 2 hours to much longer. I had driven in to the heart of the city and parked at the Vrijdagmarkt which has an 24hr underground parking area which was quite reasonable. The Vrijdagmarkt itself is a wide square surrounded by eating places and shops. As I was visiting in the evening I settled ... more

When people think of a day trip to Belgium most immediately think of Brussels and I would not argue, Brussels is well worth seeing. After that Bruges is probably the next most popular choice and again having visited it I can see why. But I would also make the case for a visit to Gent which is underrated and in my view as pretty as most Belgian cities.

Gent is only half an hour away from Bruges. It is similar in architecture but there is a lot more of it. Like Bruges it is all quite flat so walking around is no problem. The tourist information offices have a very useful free guide which details some suggested walking tours taking from 2 hours to much longer. I had driven in to the heart of the city and parked at the Vrijdagmarkt which has an 24hr underground parking area which was quite reasonable. The Vrijdagmarkt itself is a wide square surrounded by eating places and shops. As I was visiting in the evening I settled at one of the restaurants and had ‘Stew of Gent’ which is beef cooked in local Trappist beer and washed it down with a half litre of Primus.

Not feeling very energetic after this I settled for the 2 hr tour (abridged). From the square I went toward the river and the Castle of the Counts, this 12th century castles walls are along the river and it is very picturesque. Gent has a lot of water and many of the old buildings are illuminated at night. It s very pretty. I have been during the day before and can confirm this is not just an evening glow. A feature of Gent is the huge number of bars and cafes around. You will be spoilt for choice and the atmosphere is the friendliest you will get this side of Dublin.

For things to do during the day there are seemingly more museums and abbeys to visit here than anywhere else I know. There seems to be history at every turn. There are carriage trips available around the town and boat excursions costing a little over £2. You can even hire bicycles from the railway station for about £4 per half day. As there is a lot to do I would recommend that for getting about.

If you are spending a short break in Belgium and want to see something different then I would suggest Gent. I actually think it the best of the cities to visit particularly if you go at night.

 

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