Ghent is a historic city, yet at the same time a contemporary one. The modern daily life of the city’s active inhabitants plays itself out against a gorgeous historical backdrop. In Ghent, they live, work and enjoy life over and over again each day.
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CityCard Ghent
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CityCard Gent is the special all‐in access card to the main historical buildings, museums and top attractions in Ghent.
You can also use the CityCard Gent on the bus or tram and what’s more, it also includes a boat trip.
ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGE: Thanks to the CityCard you can also follow the restoration of the Mystic Lamb up close. This includes the triptych itself in the Cathedral as well as the panels, which are being restored in the Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) and the exhibion in the Carmelite Friary.
PARTICIPATING MUSEUMS AND MONUMENTS
St Bavo's Cathedral + The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Castle of the Counts, the Belfry, Museum of
Fine Arts, S.M.A.K., STAM, Design museum Gent, MIAT, St Peter's Abbey, The House of Alijn,
Dr. Guislain Museum, Museum for the History of Sciences, The world of Kina (The House and The Garden),
Carmelite Friary , Hotel Clemmen (Museum Arnold Vander Haeghen), Hotel d’Hane Steenhuyse
The boat trip is offered by Rederij De Gentenaer and Gent Watertoerist.
Ghent lies at the intersection of the E17 and the E40 motorways and is therefore easily accessible by car or coach. With two railway stations in the city and the international ‘Brussels Airport’ at Zaventem less than an hour’s drive away, arrival by train or plane are certainly easy options.
BY CAR
Ghent is located on the intersection of two major European motorways: the E17 connects Northern Europe to the South, and the E40 runs from the North Sea right across to Eastern Europe.
From the E17 you take the ‘Gent Centrum’ turnoff.
On the E40, from the motorway intersection in Zwijnaarde you first follow ‘Antwerpen’ (E17) and then take the ‘Gent Centrum’ turnoff.
The centre of the city of Ghent is a pedestrian area. The P-route leads you to the various car parks that give access to the city centre.
Download the city map here.
BY TRAIN
Ghent is easy to reach by train from all Belgian and European cities and is only half an hour from Brussels South Station. Thanks to the high-speed Eurostar and Thalys trains, you can travel from Ghent to Paris in barely 2 hours and to London, Amsterdam and Cologne in less than 3 hours.
The two main stations in Ghent are:
Gent-Sint-Pieters Station
from here tram no. 1 will take you direct to the city centre, temporary stop 'Justitiepaleis'
Dampoort Station
from here trolleybus no. 3 and the buses 38 and 39 will also take you direct to the city centre stop 'Sint-Jacobs', bus 17 and 18 stop 'Zonnestraat'
From Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station you can reach be in station Brussels Zuid in a half an hour (by 'IC' Inter City or 'IR' InterRegio train). Here the Eurostar and Thalys high-speed trains can rush you to Paris (1½ hours) and London, Amsterdam or Cologne (2½ hours).
http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/
BY AIR
Ghent is only 45 minutes from the international airport of Zaventem 'Brussel Airport', where flights arrive from and depart to more than 70 destinations.
On the lowest level you will find the airport’s own railway station, Brussel-Nationaal-Luchthaven, accessible by lift and escalator from the arrivals hall. There are several connections to Ghent.
Brussels South/Charleroi airport is 70 minutes from Ghent. There are more than 20 bus connections from the airport to the capital every day. From there frequent train connections to Ghent are available. There are also bus connections from the airport to Charleroi-Sud railway station. Trains for Ghent can also be boarded there. A ticket that combines the bus and train services can be purchased at the Airport Ticket Desk.
The other Belgian airports (Ostend, Antwerp and Liège) receive flights from various European cities and have easy direct connections to Ghent.
www.brusselsairport.be/en/
www.charleroi-airport.com/en/brussels-south-charleroi-airport/index.html
Connection Charleroi-Brussel:
www.charleroi-airport.com/en/passengers/acces-and-parking/index.html
CYCLING
Countrywide Cycle Routes
Countrywide Cycle Routes (LF routes)
LF routes take you past the loveliest spots in Flanders. They lead you through colourful landscapes and link together such great cities of art as Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven and Brussels.
The following LF routes pass through Ghent:
LF5 (Flanders Cycle Route) goes from Bruges to Thorn (NL)
LF30 (Scheldt-Delta Route) goes from Kruiningen (NL) to Oudenaarde
The Flemish LF routes link up with the Dutch network.
Cycle route junctions
East Flanders’ recreational cycle network leads you around all the province’s loveliest spots. The principal elements are safety, cycling comfort and riding on paths reserved for cyclists. The East Flanders Tourist Office has selected the safest and most attractive cycle routes, put them on a map and transformed them into a coherent network. When two or more selected routes cross they form a junction. Each junction is given a number, and these numbers can be found on our map. Each network joins up seamlessly with the next, even across provincial boundaries and national borders. We have also recently introduced thematic trips on the cycle network. They are circular routes on a particular theme such as nature or art. Four of the five East Flanders cycle route junctions are in Ghent. You can use the ‘Gent en omgeving’ (Ghent and surroundings) junction plan to mark out your own route.
Bicycle Rental
You can also rent a bicycle to explore the city. More information is available under Bicycle Rental.
BOAT
Ghent is a city of water, and thus ideal to visit by boat. You can dock in no less than five marinas, the most recent of which is the Portus Ganda. On the navigation chart (available free at the Tourist Office or download here), you will find navigation information.
COACH
Although the historic city centre has been transformed into an almost entirely pedestrian area, it is still accessible to large groups. Special parking areas for coaches have been developed at walking distance from all places of interest.
Download here the map 'Ghent by coach'.
The car-free city centre is tailor-made for the pedestrian and the cyclist. With bus and tram you can reach any part of the city quickly and easily (even on weekend evenings) and taxis are also readily available.
Of course, you can also rent a car to explore the surroundings.
ON FOOT
Ghent’s pedestrian-friendly city centre, with an area of 30 hectares, is the largest in Belgium.
The historical city centre is a perfect place to walk or just saunter. There are treats for all the senses: your view is not obstructed by traffic, you can hear the excited chatter of the people around you and smell the delicious aromas coming from the shops and restaurants.
The plentiful pedestrian signposts ensure that you always know perfectly well where you are and in which direction you need go to.
Even more so when you have the tourist map available free at the information desk in the Tourist Centre.
BUS AND TRAM
Public transport is not hindered by car traffic, so it gets to its destination faster and easier.
You can request a free network map at the Lijnwinkel, located at the main bus terminals: near Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station, on the Grain Market (Korenmarkt) and at Gent-Zuid (Ghent South). This network map is also available at the information desk in the Tourist Centre.
Buy a bus or tram card beforehand at newspaper shops or supermarkets, in the Lijnwinkel or at any of the automatic dispensers located at most bus stops. This way you pay up to 50 percent less than when you pay on the bus or tram itself.
The Lijnwinkels at Gent-Sint-Pieters and Korenmarkt are open from Monday to Friday, 7 am to 7 pm. On Saturday, only the Korenmarkt Lijnwinkel is open.
On Friday and Saturday, you can make use of free night buses. Six lines operate over the entire Ghent area. Departure from Gent-Zuid: from 1:15 onwards, every 45 minutes.
www.delijn.be
www.nietmeertemissen.be
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Perfect for guests seeking a comfortable base during their stay in Ghent, this classic hotel is located in the centre of the city and combines an old exterior with modern decorations.
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Cour St Georges offers rooms in an 18th-century building in Gent’s historic centre only 130 metres from the Saint Bavo Cathedral. It features a 24-hour reception and free Wi-Fi.
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Chalet De Maalte is favourably located at the lovely 14-hectare park in Gent, Het Parkbos, and within easy walking distance of the Flanders Expo.
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Holiday Inn Gent Expo welcomes you to its modern hotel, with the newly renovated Atrium, and offers an excellent location next to Flanders Expo and Ikea Ghent.
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This family hotel is located a 5-minute walk from the train station. There is free parking and a pretty lawn with terrace. It features suites with a jacuzzi bathtub.
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Located in the historical heart of Ghent, this 4-star hotel provides you with tasteful guest rooms and a cosy lounge in its 19th century building.
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The charming Erasmus Hotel is situated in a 16th century patrician house. Find yourself in the heart of the historic centre of Gent, at walking distance from all interesting places to visit.
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This relaxed little hotel is uniquely situated in the magnificent, historical heart of Ghent, beneath the towers of St. Bavo's cathedral.
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Hotel Gravensteen is in the middle of Ghent town centre, just a few steps from the Castle of the Counts.
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This luxurious family-run hotel in the Patershof suburb of Gent offers unique rooms in 2 historic buildings. Harmony benefits from a swimming pool and is 10 minutes’ walk from St Bavo’s Cathedral.
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The Hotel Ibis Gent St. Baafs Kathedraal is located in the heart of the historical city. With the famous cathedral next door, you can enjoy modern rooms and a healthy breakfast.
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This hotel is located in historic Ghent, a 2-minute walk from the Flemish Opera House and a 10-minute walk from the St Baafs Cathedral. All rooms are air conditioned.
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The Boatel** Hotel is equipped with 5 charming and cosy rooms of which 3 are standard rooms and 2 luxurious. Each room is decorated in a unique and surprisingly different style with view over the river. Every morning a delicious continental breakfast is served.
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This hotel is located in a former baron’s town house with elegant décor, only a 15-minute walk from the Belfort. It benefits from free Wi-Fi, a fitness centre and sauna.
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You will really feel at home in this charming hotel and we will do everything to make your stay as pleasant possible. The large rooms are elegantly decorated and provided with television, telephone, minibar and free internet. Every room has a private bathroom with bath and a shower.
We serve the breakfast at its best with prepared eggs and bacon to order, fresh-from-the-oven pastries, grounded coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice. A large range of cheese, meat and fresh fruits will put the finishing touch on this delicious meal.
The Carlton Hotel Ghent is situated in a Ghent’s residential area and it is only 100 metres away from Ghent St Pieters Station. Its central location, convenient access and the available private car parking, make of this hotel the ideal base for both tourists and businesspeople.
There are several tram lines going to Ghent’s old town center and industrial areas, as well as a direct connection with Flanders Expo. Also Carlton hotel Ghent is within walking distance (5min) of the ICC Convention Centre.
Parking option (booking required up front), non-smoking bedrooms, fresh breakfast, family rooms (3 persons), lift and free wi-fi are all available.
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In the heart of historical Ghent, this brand-new hotel offers a private parking and Wi-Fi (charges applicable).
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Parkhotel is a fully renovated and modern hotel at walking distance from the historic city centre. Stay in a quiet neighborhood across from the Sint-Anna Park and enjoy the comfort of this accommodation.
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The Aparthotel Castelnou offers spacious accommodation and a good breakfast in the morning. Enjoy the quiet location of this hotel at only 10 minutes' walk from the historic centre.
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Hotel Castel is a cosy family hotel near Ghent’s historical centre. Our hotel is directly opposite the railway station Ghent Sint-Pieters. A short distance from our hotel you can discover Ghent’s rich cultural settings. Pay a visit to the 3 towers of Ghent or the medieval castle Gravensteen. With its charming alleys and diversity in shops, Ghent is also a city to shop till you drop.
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Europahotel is quietly located along the Leie canal, a 13-minute walk from St Pieters railway station and near the E17 and E4. Tram and bus services are available within 5 minutes.
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Holiday Inn Express offers spacious rooms with complimentary breakfast and free WiFi near the E17 motorway. It is only 4 km from the medieval city centre of Ghent.
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The elegant Ghent Marriott combines historic charm with modern design. This hotel overlooks the famous Korenlei on the bank of the Lys River and boasts an unusual lobby and a fitness centre.
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Campanile Hotel Ghent is located just off the A14 motorway, 5 km from Ghent. A tray with tea, coffee and biscuits is available in each room and refilled daily.
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The NH Gent Belfort is located next to Ghent’s historic town hall building. It features stylish accommodation, a fine dining restaurant and an on-site gym and sauna.
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The 4-star NH Gent Sint Pieters is situated in a residential area, an 8-minute walk from the Sint Pieters Station. There is free Wi-Fi in the lobby and restaurant.
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This modern Novotel is centrally located in the historic heart of Ghent, a 3-minute walk from the St Baafs Cathedral. There is a patio with an outdoor pool.
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The luxury hotel rooms are designed with an eye for tradition and combine Neo-Gothic style with a tranquil setting. The rooms are spacious and have comfortable beds. Tea and coffee making facilities are available.
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This grand 18th-century city hotel offers elegant décor and modern facilities in Gent, only 750 metres from the Belfort. Reylof includes a wellness centre and historic courtyard garden with terraces.
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Belgium’s oldest indoor swimming pool is also the newest: in 2001 it was fully restored so that the splendid art deco design is today more beautiful than ever.
The Belfry is the proudest symbol of the city’s independence. The civil privileges that the city received in 1180 are still kept in the tower. The Cloth Hall was built onto the side of the Belfry. In a euphoric Brabant Gothic style, this monument glorifies the industry to which the city owes so much. At the corner of the Cloth Hall is an old jailer’s lodge.
Dance, theatre, performance, literature and a generous portion of rock ‘n’ roll. Vooruit has been a household name in Ghent for many years. The spacious art-deco café is a meeting place for all those who are young, progressive and up to the minute.
Today the 15th-century Toreken, at that time the guild hall of the tanners, is home to the Poetry Centre. Halfway up this small tower is the market clock and on the steeple the mermaid Melusine holds up her mirror to the wind.
Ghent’s fourth tower is a modernist masterpiece by the Belgian architect Henry Van de Velde. The 64-metre concrete building has 24 floors that house more than 2 million books. It was initially conceived as a university library and fulfils that same role to this day.
Ghent’s town hall is a building with many faces. The flamboyant Gothic style of the façade in Hoogpoort contrasts sharply with the rather sober Renaissance style of the Botermarkt side. You can also see many different styles inside the building.
At the end of the last century, this friary of the Calced Carmelites was fully restored and opened as an exhibition space. Among the things to enjoy is a giant mural. Temporary exhibitions are often free and always worth it!
Gent-Sint-Pieters is the main railway station in Ghent and – depending upon the measure used – the second or third busiest railway station in Belgium.
Despite the name and its grim appearance, the devil has never resided in this 13th-century fortress. Through the centuries, it has been used as a knights’ residence, an arsenal, a monastery, a school and a bishop’s seminary.
To solve the permanent lack of space, a modern building for the law courts was built on the edge of the city. The old, neo-classical style edifice, built between 1836 and 1846, is for the time being also still in use.
The refectory wing of St Peter’s Abbey is authentically medieval. The splendid garden with its vineyard and ruins is a green oasis in the heart of the city. The St Peter’s Abbey Arts Centre holds prestigious internationally-oriented exhibitions every year. You can visit the abbey with a unique movie guide.
In the façade above the entrance, Apollo and his muses look out over the wonderfully renovated Sint-Baafsplein. Right at the very top, Lady Harmonia keeps an eye on things. Inside the building, the NTGent civic theatre, though it is a Ghent institution, looks the world full in the face without restraint.
The numerous waterways passing through the city centre all flow towards the former port at the Graslei. The elegant façades of the buildings on the Graslei and the Korenlei represent different architectural styles. Each façade reflects a period in history reminding the visitor of the spirit of enterprise and the busy commercial activities of the old guilds.
This church in Tournai bluestone is one of the most beautiful examples of the Scheldt Gothic style. One of its unique elements is that the tower is not above the entrance, but above the crossing of the nave and transepts. It functions as a sort of natural lantern as the light shines into the transept from the tower.
‘I’ll show them who’s boss’: that’s what Philip of Alsace had in mind. So he had the imposing castle rebuilt (1180). Overlooking the city from its battlements high up on the keep, one can sense the feeling of wealth and power that the lord of the castle must have had.
The steeple of St Michael’s Church should have stood out above all the others, but history decided otherwise: the 134 metre high planned ‘monument of triumph’, has remained at a paltry 24 metres. In 1828, the unfinished tower finally acquired a closed roof.
The Great Butchers'Hall dates back to the 15th century, when meat halls were indoor market places with centralised sales to monitor the freshness and quality of the meat.The Great Butchers’ Hall has a remarkable and splendid open wooden truss roof.
The two towers still date from the Romanesque period, but since then the church has undergone much devastation, expansion and renovation. The square around it, called Bij Sint-Jacobs, and the Trefpunt café are the true epicentre of the world-famous Ghent Festivities, the annual people’s festival in mid-July which really signals the beginning of summer in Ghent.
When Charles V was baptised there in 1500, the metamorphosis from a closed Romanesque church to a spacious Gothic one was fully underway. However, despite substantial financial support from the emperor, the cathedral still remained unfinished 58 years later.
For years it remained hidden behind scaffolding, but you can now – during the services or on special occasions – admire it in its full glory. The monumental murals inside the church give the interior a unique eastern or Byzantine ambience
As soon as the first rays of sunshine announce the arrival of spring, the pavement cafés start appearing on the Korenmarkt. The former post office, with its beautiful clock tower, now houses a shopping centre.
This former Dominican friary was beautifully restored and now belongs to the University of Ghent. It is mainly used as a conference centre, but also holds a number of remarkable collections of various departments. Here you can admire, amongst other things, a wonderful collection of stained-glass fragments.
This imposing church was built on the foundations of the previous Romanesque abbey church. If it reminds you of Rome, it is no coincidence: the architect Pieter Huyssens was inspired by the great Italian Renaissance churches. The interior is impressive and the art treasures are unique. Not to be missed.
Romain De Coninck, founder and driving force behind the Minard, keeps a permanent watch over his popular theatre. The wonderful entrance hall has been maintained and the hall fully modernised. The evening’s performance is mulled over around the fine oval bar until the early hours.
In the first half of the 19th century, rich Ghent industrialists initiated the building of a new and luxurious opera house. It was meant to be the showcase for their newly acquired wealth and no expense was spared. In the splendid, horseshoeshaped theatre, being seen was just as important as seeing.
The numerous waterways passing through the city centre all flow towards the former port at the Graslei. The elegant façades of the buildings on the Graslei and the Korenlei represent different architectural styles. Each façade reflects a period in history reminding the visitor of the spirit of enterprise and the busy commercial activities of the old guilds.
Originally a 14th-century castle, the restored Hof van Rijhove illustrates the development of seven centuries of domestic culture in an authentic Ghent mansion. Between the historic walls, a ‘medieval’ garden was laid out with a historically authentic range of plants. The “Pand” is now home to the offices of various city departments.
Behind the Castle of Gerald the Devil looms the imposing dome of the National Bank. Opposite is the dazzlingly white Episcopal Palace. The new Wijdenaard Bridge connects the banks of the Lower Scheldt which was filled in years ago.
This impressive cast-iron cannon weighs 12,500 kg and is known in popular parlance as the ‘dulle griet’ (evil woman). It does have a big mouth but that’s as far as the evil goes, as it has never been fired.
In 1488, Maximilian of Austria took advantage of a weak point in Ghent’s defences to seize the city. When, after 40 days of siege, his army withdrew without having accomplished their mission, the city authorities used the opportunity to strengthen the central building by means of two towers.
Opposite the Castle of the Counts on the Sint-Veerleplein lies the monumental gateway to the Old Fish Market. Neptune keeps watch over the Scheldt (man) and the Lys (woman).
Eight Corinthian pillars crowned with a triangular pediment. The auditorium hosts proclamations, during which degrees and honorary doctorates are presented.
With its thick walls, battlements, corner turrets and embrasures, the five-sided barracks still look above all like a fortified stronghold. However, a large part of the building no longer has anything to do with the army.
Dynamic and highly individual. That’s Ghent and it also describes its museum of contemporary art. The permanent collection of top national and international works is presented in continuous interaction with original, often daring exhibitions.
The interiors of the Museum Arnold Vander Haeghen appeal enormously to the imagination. The most attractive rooms include the Chinese Salon and reconstruction of the study of Ghent’s Nobel Prize winner in Literature, Maurice Maeterlinck.
In the Middle Ages, Ghent cloth was known far beyond the national borders. The city remained an important textile centre with an industrial face until the 19th century.
The STAM, the Museum of the City of Ghent, will rise on the site of the Bijloke Complex. The past, present and future of the city will be presented clearly and enthrallingly so that the STAM becomes the place to start a cultural voyage of discovery in Ghent.
Behind a charming 18th-century façade lurks a modern, airy building. The central eye-catcher is the enormously tall vase by the Italian designer Andrea Branzi. Temporary expositions supplement the marvellous permanent collection. Also, take a look at the striking toilet wing, even if you don’t need to pay a visit.
The strength and the charm of the MSK is the variety of its collection and the way it is presented: never before have the old masters hung so perfectly in place as they do in the fully restored museum.
A museum in Belgium’s oldest psychiatric hospital, built in 1857: you’d be crazy not to pay it a visit. In this wonderful oasis you will find a permanent collection that illustrates the history of psychiatry and an international collection of outsider art or art brut. The temporary exhibitions are also always worth visiting.
A unique fossil of a pre-historic reptile, a splendid diorama room with native birds and a replica model of Ghent as it was 450 years ago, with sound and lighting effects. The House is a museum where your children will uncover one surprise after another.
The illuseum is a catchy exhibition of optical illusions. More than 120 visual surprises to discover. Things to watch and things to do. Fun for you and your children (+7 years)
Nothing can halt the advance of science, and it is continually evolving. This is wonderfully illustrated by an extensive collection of scientific instruments used at the university over the past 200 years.
More than 1000 plant species, a bee colony and live tarantulas in the Garden. Children and youngsters will know where the action is.
Back to the old school benches? The School of Yesteryear is housed in a typical school building from 1901. The permanent collection illustrates how education and teaching was experienced more than 100 years ago.
