Travel in Belgium — Day Trip to Ghent
20. February 2016
Some call Ghent the not-so-touristy version of Bruges. With its quieter streets and canals, you get much of what Bruges has to offer, minus the throngs of people, higher prices and tourist shop upon tourist shop.
The Essential Information
How I got there: Train
Check out my quick post about traveling by train in Belgium HERE
Here’s what I did:
After taking the train from Leuven to Ghent (approx. 1 hour) for 12 Euros, I walked to the Castle of Gerald the Devil and looked at it from the outside since you unfortunately cannot go in.
Directly after the castle I was met with the beautiful cityscape of central Ghent. Viewing St. Bravo’s Cathedral, Saint Nicholas’ Church and the Belfry of Ghent all in one sweep made me awestruck at the close proximity of such beautiful buildings. St. Michael's Bridge and Church stand right next to the previously mentioned buildings and just add to the beauty of the city center.
Since it was a cool, gloomy day, I decided to get a nice hot chocolate and something sweet on the side. If you want a small cozy local cafe that has excellent hot chocolate, among other things, I recommend Huize Colette (open 9am-6pm on weekends) and located at Belfortstraat 6. The cafe is conveniently close to the town center, only a 2 minute walk from the Belfry.
After my small hot chocolate break I of course stopped to get a quick picture on St. Michael’s bridge.
Next I went for a 40 minute boat tour of Ghent on the canals using the boating company: De Bootjes Van Gent. The tour set me back 7 Euros and was done in French, Dutch and English. It is located a few hundred meters up the canal from St. Michael’s Bridge, nice and close.
After the canal ride, I walked all the way to Museum Dr. Guislain, a very cool psychiatry museum housed in the former first asylum of Belgium. The buildings in the complex itself are almost 200 years old and a site to see. It took me about 35 minutes to walk to the museum from the city center and cost me 1 Euro with a 22 and under discount.
Museum Website Link HERE
After the museum I rushed back to the city center, running low on time and made a couple of quick stops to take in the pretty canal-side buildings of the Kraanlei, with multiple pubs and cafes. Following this I took a look at the Groot Kanon or also known as the Dulle Griet, a massive 15th century cannon covered in bright red paint.
As you can see from the pictures now, by this time it was raining. Do not let this deter you though, I went in the winter and even in the rain (without an umbrella) I survived and enjoyed my time.
Castle Gravensteen was next on my list, but I came too late and found it closed. For information on opening hours and prices for the castle, see THIS link.
My final tourist stop for the day was the Belfry of Ghent. Standing 91 meters high, the Belfry was a nice way to get a beautiful view of the city and to wonder in amazement that such a large and high structure had been built in the 14th century. Paying 2.70 Euros for the under 26 price, I managed to get in just before closing later in the evening.
For all prices and hours for the Belfry check this HERE
Ending my day in Ghent, I went to the local restaurant Pantomiene and enjoyed a nice traditional Belgian dish of beef stew in a beer sauce with a side of fries. The restaurant is open from 6:30pm–10pm on weekends and is located at Vlasmarkt 13. Prices are in 14–20 Euro range.
After dinner I walked back to the train station and passed through Citadelpark, which was small but very nice, even at night.
I ran out of time in Ghent and had plenty of other things on my to-do list, so…
Here’s what you can also do:
- Visit STAM Museum: The Ghent City Museum (Link)
- Visit MIAT Museum: Industrial, labor and textile museum (Link)
- Get a delicious and dually beautiful dessert at Les Tartes de Françoise (François Laurentplein 35) — Open 9am-6pm
- Breakfast at Pain Côtidien (website Link)
Ghent has plenty of things to do, not limited to this post, so don’t wait if you’re in Belgium, just GO!
