Ghent (Belgium)

...charming ...

Ghent was our the other city we spent time in during our recent trip to Belgium, and I think I preferred it to Antwerp. Your initial feeling when entering a foreign city for a first time can often be an indication of how much you'll enjoy your stay - it's not about how good a city is on paper, or how other people perceive it, but what you think of it that really matters, and Ghent and I got on like a house on fire.
...the most picturesque streets in Ghent which is saying something in a place as scenic as this. Across the river is the castle, located unusually in what is now a residential area - there are shops a few meters away, houses round the corner, a row of cafés a little further on. Despite the different location (aren't castles supposed to be on the top of a hill, or in a field or something?) it's well worth popping in, although the entrance fee is a bit ... more

...pretty and witty and bright...charming, oh, so charming ...

Ghent was our the other city we spent time in during our recent trip to Belgium, and I think I preferred it to Antwerp. Your initial feeling when entering a foreign city for a first time can often be an indication of how much you'll enjoy your stay - it's not about how good a city is on paper, or how other people perceive it, but what you think of it that really matters, and Ghent and I got on like a house on fire.

Ghent has a rustic Italian feel to it, without being either rustic or Italian. I think what I mean is that it feels traditional, properly-European, complete with old cobbled streets, gaudy cathedrals and churches and a sweet old castle. It's a nice quiet place to look around at times, such as Sunday morning when all good natives are at Mass and there are not a lot of shops open to distract you.

St Bravo's Cathedral occupies a great expanse on the main square and is the number one attraction in the city, thanks in large part to a large painting with an interesting story. The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb was painted by Jan and/or Hubert Van Eyck (one of life's somewhat great mysteries - no one's entirely sure whether one or both of the brothers produced it). This multi-panelled painting shows your usual Christ / Mary / Saint / Prophet / Angel party but also includes representations of Adam and Eve, which is the thing people are most interested in. Originally the pair were painted clad only in the odd leaf, but during the 19th Century when people started getting nervous about the acceptability of nude portraits replacements were painted showing the couple as being dressed in suitable attire, and these replacements were used in place of the original panels. You have to pay to see the whole thing, and it's tucked away in a chapel to the left as you go into the cathedral. It only costs a few Euros, and since the cathedral is free to get in I think it's well worth doing in lieu of a general donation to the place's upkeep. The hours the chapel is open are limited, and it does get crowded as many tour groups stop by to see it, but it's a bit like the Mona Lisa in that even though it's less impressive in person, and even though people are pushing and shoving to get a look, you still feel like you should have a peek. As for the painting, well it's now been reverted to its original form, but they still keep the extra panels on display outside the chapel that houses the main alter piece. The rest of the cathedral is nice too, and worth a nosy around. The gift shop at the back has an excellent selection of post cards, and various religious souvenirs.

The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb is discussed in great deal at this website:

http://www.trabel.com/gent/gent-misticlambintroduction.htm

or see Wiki's version at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghent_Altarpiece

Opposite the cathedral is one of the only tourist shops in Ghent, but luckily it's a very nice one with a good range of cheap goods and friendly, English speaking staff. Down past there is the McDonalds (home to new-to-you McFlurrys and dodgy toilet attendants) and if you're walking round the city that's the point where you should turn right and walk past the post office, parallel to the river bank.

The river which runs alongside a large part of the City, and is home to one of the most picturesque streets in Ghent which is saying something in a place as scenic as this. Across the river is the castle, located unusually in what is now a residential area - there are shops a few meters away, houses round the corner, a row of cafés a little further on. Despite the different location (aren't castles supposed to be on the top of a hill, or in a field or something?) it's well worth popping in, although the entrance fee is a bit steep for what you get - over a fiver for adults, though with significant discounts for the usual groups including students like me who get in for about 85p. Parts of the castle date back to the 12th Century, when it was used in the usual military way, but it was later transformed into a jail from the 14th - 18th centuries, and reference is made to this inside. A self guided tour involves following arrows and reading signs on doors and labels on items on display in the quasi museum housed inside, but these are all in English, even if they are deadly boring / have a tendency to state the obvious: "this is a table"…."this is a bed"…. "these are some shackles" …. "this is a dining room. People would eat in here". Ignoring the dubious signs, though, you can still enjoy looking round, and after the internal tour you can clamber around outside including heading to the turrets for some good views over the city.

No trip to Belgium would be complete without trying the yumminess that is waffles in their commonly-believed home nation, so having not managed to fit any in during our time in Antwerp, it became a must-do for Ghent. The perfect time came as we were walking through one of the small, cobbled squares and happened across a tiny waffle stand. It had a shop front but you couldn't go inside as such - you just ordered at the counter and looked into the open-plan kitchen behind while they whipped them up for you. The menu's in Flemish but it's pretty easy to work out your sugar from your chocolate from your cream, and if in doubt point the one with 3 words next to it to get all of these together. For a few euros you can get a freshly prepared goodie to eat as you walk around the shops, or perch on one of the statues opposite. There are lots of foods that taste better when you eat them walking around in the cold, wrapped up as warm as possible, Christmas-market style, and waffles definitely fall into this category. For the record this was the only stand of its kind that we saw - the only other places offering waffles were the smart cafes lining the squares, but for some crazy reason they only serve them after about 2.30pm, so for a mid-morning or lunch-time snack, the stand is your only option. For other foods there's an array of restaurants and cafés on or near the main squares, and plenty of bakeries and snack shop too, and prices aren't too bad. Plus, most seemed happy for you to stop in just for a drink, even at lunchtime.

Other things to see and do in Ghent:

St Michael's Bridge - a bit like Mrs Maquarie's chair in Sydney, it's the place to go for photos to line up some excellent shots of the churches and cathedral.

St Nicholas' Church - one of the best examples of gothic Scheldt architecture still remaining in the city for those who understand these things, and simply a very pretty church for the rest of us.

The museums of contemporary art and fine arts - both worth a visit, housing decent collections for a city of this size

Boat trips on the river - run whatever the weather and range in duration from half an hour to 90 minutes or more, with prices adjusting appropriately

Ghent is not on the to-do list of many visitors to Belgium but while it may not offer the fame or vast quantity of chocolate shops the Brussels or Brugges boast it's a really sweet, quaint city to stop in for a few hours or a few days, with its own fair share of things to take in. It's inexpensive for the most part, and very easy to navigate on foot. The kind of place for a leisurely stroll and a chance to relax, I'd recommend a visit if you've not already been. It's just so darn pretty.

More Info:

http://www.gent.be/gent/english/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghent
 

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