Belgium much more than just Beer, Waffles & Chocolate

Ghent

This charming city is a small port city in northwest Belgium, at the confluence of the Leie and Scheldt rivers and just a short hop from Brussels.

During the Middle Ages it was a prominent city-state. Today it’s a University town and Cultural hub.

Most people rave about Bruges. Luckily I heard about Ghent from friends who had visited some years ago. They described it as a relaxed quaint town where you could wander the streets and enjoy some peace and quite in the cafes and sightseeing. Just what @ishtar and myself were looking for.

They really undersold it!

The Highlights from Ghent

As soon as we stepped off the train we got a taste of what was in store. This city is overflowing with Art and Culture. There are design museums, cafes, and masterpieces at every turn.

Art at Ghent Train Station

Gavensteen Castle

The main tourist sight in Ghent is the 12th century Gavensteen Castle, or Castle of the counts. I have seen a lot of castles in my time but this Medieval Moated Castle is one of the finest specimens and has some very interesting displays inside, including a Guillotine complete with basket for the head.

There was a powerful feeling in the room where the Guillotine was on Display.

The MIAT Museum

The museum of Industry Art and Textiles was a real find and deserved a full post of its own. You can read about in a post from a few weeks back at Museum of Industry Art and Textiles

This museum was very interesting and we got to leave a surprise for other visitors on one of the printing presses.

Graffiti Alley

As a cultural center Ghent has a rich artistic tradition. Graffiti alley which we visited on our last day was just one example. Read more about it in a post from a few weeks back at Graffitti Alley

The Cathedral

St. Bavo's Cathedral In the main square is an impressive Gothic cathedral. What really struck about it was the Art inside. There were lots of portraits adoring the walls. The lifelike feeling I got from the paintings was noticeable and the perceived depth that was achieved in some painting which I would have sworn were statues from the distance. I didn't take photos as they would not do the art justice. This is really a place you need to visit to experience the Art.

This is also the home to *"The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" * Van Eycks masterpiece. This painting was number 1 on Hitlers most wanted list and was stolen by the NAzis during the ward. Read more about Hitler’s Hunt for the Holy Grail and the Ghent Altarpiece.

Saint Nicholas' Church

There are many great churches in Ghent, full of art and history. The construction for this church dates from the 13th century in the local Scheldt Gothic style.

St Micheals' Church

This church houses several treasures and important works of art, including a relic of the sacred "Doorn" brought to the church by Mary, Queen of Scots, and a relic of the true Cross a gift of the Archduke Albrecht to Isabella in 1619.

We didn't enter but the church just by the canal is a beautiful Gothic Church.

Saint Jacobs' Church

This church is located a short walk away from the city center.
The first construction was a wooden building and was built here in 1093 dedicated to Saint Jacob. Most likely, the construction was due to the arrival of pilgrims during their trip to the Camino de Santiago. The building was destroyed by troops of Robert Curthose. It was replaced by a building made of wood and stone.

A new Romanesque church was built whose core dates from the period after 1120. From the Romanesque period, the pillars of the transept remain. The eighteenth-century celebration tower of the 13th century was built in the style of the Scheldt Gothic. In the 14th century, the church was expanded with sidelines for the guilds.

At the end of the 15th century, one of the towers got a Gothic spit. The interior was greatly affected by the famous religious troops in the 16th century. Repairs were performed in baroque style. Later restorations, in the 18th and 19th centuries, were made.

The Bell tower

All Belgian towns have a bell-tower which used to control the workers day during the middle ages. We didn't go to the top here as we were on our way to Bruge. This 91m tall Belfry is the tallest in Belgium.

Cafes/Bars

Ghent was great for food, the city, a student town, is full of bars and cafes and very relaxing place to spend a few days. All you can eat ribs seemed to be the thing in Gent. If you visit don't forget to try a local sweet, shaped like a nose, Cuberdon.

Holy Market

On our last day we discovered the Holy Market. A really cool converted Church with some great places to eat.

This market is a type of food hall where you can sit and eat in very fancy surroundings.

Waffles

We really went to town on the waffles while we were in Ghent. The street Liege waffle with the carmalised sugar was out of this world but also got to try the finer more delicate Brussels waffle in a few cafes. Both were amazing.

Chips

Being In Belgium we had to go for Chips one night. We looked up the best chip shop in Ghent on Tripadvisor and came across Friekatel.

The queue was quite long, but we persevered. They smelt really good.

It turned out this shop had just won the best Chip Shop in Belgium and was giving away free chips.

What were the chips like? I am going to do a post on the food from Belgium. Stay tuned.

Wool Shops

There were shops selling wool all over Ghent. A pleasant surprise for @ishtar after visiting all the castles :)

Trams

In may ways I preferred this city than Bruges. It was very peaceful and was lovely to stroll around. It was well connected with Trams and in contrast to Bruges which was quite busy with traffic, the trams gave the city a nice atmosphere.

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Other Posts in this Series

• Overview of Belgium
  https://steemit.com/travel/@eroche/belgium-much-more-than-just-beer-waffles-and-chocolate
• Brussels
  https://steemit.com/travel/@eroche/2aaude-belgium-much-more-than-just-beer-waffles-and-chocolate
• Graffiti in Ghent
  https://steemit.com/travel/@eroche/4f7ezm-belgium-much-more-than-just-beer-waffles-and-chocolate
• The Textile Museum in Ghent
  https://steemit.com/travel/@eroche/2wcav8-belgium-much-more-than-just-beer-waffles-and-chocolate
• Steemit in Print
  https://steemit.com/steemit/@eroche/steemit-in-print

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Thank you for reading this. I write on Steemit about Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Travel and lots of random topics.



All Images are from my personal library.

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