Medieval Ghent
I’d never heard of Ghent when I was offered the opportunity to go there. When I looked it up and found out it was just 30 minutes from Bruges, I decided this was a great excuse to get to Bruges. Then I started researching Ghent, and lo and behold…I quickly became more excited to spend time exploring this town then going to the one I had wanted to see for years. Luckily, I was able to do both.
Bruges has long been on people’s bucket list, yet one of the best things about Ghent is it has been able to stay somewhat under the tourism radar. Lonely Planet said Ghent might be the best European city you never thought you'd visit and I for one can say that is exactly how I feel. I fell in love with this city, it reminds me of a medieval Austin, TX. Like Bruges, Ghent remained almost untouched through the 2 world wars and has the same perfectly preserved medieval, exquisitely beautiful, gable architecture with many lovely canals and cobbled streets yet it is also a college town, very artsy, with a cool hipster feel to it. It’s alive with energy and does not feel touristy the way Bruges did.
As beautiful as Bruges is, I am 100% team Ghent.
Given there are 3 national languages in Belguim, there are always multiple ways to spell the cities. This one can be spelled Ghent, Gent, and Gand. Ghent is a common English spelling, Gent, the Dutch and German one, and Gand is a French one. Ghent has also collected a number of nicknames over the years including “The historic heart of Flanders”, “a city of all ages”, “medieval Manhattan” and “Europe’s best-kept secret.” There are so many wonderful things about this city, it took me days to explore and discover all its treasures.
Ghent's city center has kept much of its cultural heritage from medieval to more recent times. I love that it has the largest car-free area in Belgium making it a highly enjoyable walkable city. Ghent is located at the confluence of the two rivers - Scheldt and Leie and has access to the North Sea via a network of gorgeous canals therefore it’s a very active port city. In addition to all this, and much to my joy of discovery, proportionally, this city has more vegan and vegetarian restaurants than Paris or London, and they call themselves the “veggie capital of Europe.” In 2009, Ghent officially declared Thursday a meat free veggie day or as the locals call it, “Donderdag Veggiedag”. In an official memo the city says, “If all 243,000 inhabitants of Ghent participate in Thursday Veggie Day, they reach the same effect as when 19,000 cars are taken off the road.” They said an additional benefit of eating more vegetables and fruit: “you will automatically eat more fiber, vitamins and minerals.” How AWESOME is this city??
The first place I went to explore, which is on every list to see, is St. Michael's Bridge over looking two streets lining the Leie river, Korenlei and Graslei. The architecture here is stunning. (pictured above and below)
Standing on St. Michael's Bridge you get a perfect view of the “Three Towers of Ghent,” a UNESCO World Heritage site.
1) Saint Nicholas’ Church Tower (tallest square tower to the left);
2) Belfry of Ghent (in the middle with the dragon on top); and
3) Saint Bavo Cathedral Tower (farthest away on the right).
The Church of Saint Nicholas is located just past St. Michael's Bridge. 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.
The Belfry of Ghent, this 91 meter/300 feet high bell tower was completed in the 14th century, symbolizing the city’s prosperity and independence. A fiery dragon, the proud symbol and mascot of Ghent, sits on top and guards the historic heart of the city ever since 1377. The Cloth Hall, a marketplace for the wool and cloth trade, was built onto the Ghent Belfry. Construction started in the 15th century but it wasn’t until 1903 that the original plan for the Cloth Hall was resurfaced and the construction executed as originally intended.
Sitting next to the Belfry is the Stadshal, also known as Ghent Market Hall or Ghent City Pavilion or known by locals as “schapenstal” aka sheep shack. This building came about as a part of an urban redevelopment plan for the Belgian city. Designed and constructed in 2012 by Robbrecht en Daem Architecten, with architect Marie-José Van Hee, the Stadshal was among the five finalist projects of the official architecture award of the European Union, the Mies Van Der Rohe Award - EUmiesaward - in 2013. Nevertheless, locals were highly critical because of its size, height and use of modern materials in the historical surroundings. Standing underneath during the day is very cool, and at night it is fully illuminated.
St Bavo’s Cathedral is the oldest parish church and was consecrated in 942. Parts of the original structure and Romanesque style expansion can still be seen in the crypt of the cathedral. Most of the present day Saint Bavo Cathedral was built from the 14th till the 16th century, in the Gothic style of that era. Saint Bavo became a cathedral in 1559, when the doicese of Ghent was founded. It is also the church where Charles V was baptized. The cathedral is home to one of the artistic masterpieces of Flanders, the Ghent Altarpiece, better known as the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, painted by Hubert and Jan van Eyck (being restored at this time so no pictures). The inside was gorgeous!
Another medieval treasure right in the city center that has you feel as if you are walking back in time is the Gravensteen aka Castle of the Counts, one of the strongest moated fortresses in Western Europe, surrounded by the River Leie. It was built between 1180 and 1200 on the orders of Philip of Alsace, the former count of Flanders, on the foundation of an earlier 9th-century structure and was created in the style of Syrian crusader castles. Today, it remains a unique example of the European medieval art of fortification. In the 14th-century, it ceased to have a military function and was used by the counts for administration of the land. In 1800, it came into private ownership and was converted into a cotton mill and flats for the workers. In front of the castle extends the ancient Sint-Veerleplein, possibly the oldest square in Ghent, although the neighboring facades are of 17th-century origin at the earliest. This square was a marketplace but also the site of executions and burnings of the victims of the Inquisition
Walking Ghent is the best way to discover all it has to offer. Just cross all the bridges, turn down any random alleyway, I can guarantee that around every corner you will find another known or hidden treasure. Check out the following posts to see a walking tour for the amazing street art this town is famous for as well.
