How to Spend a Day in Ghent

Belgium might be a small country, but its significance in history is vast, from the sacred burying grounds of Flanders Fields and the hard-fought battles of the Ardennes and Waterloo, to its modern-day importance as the home of the United Nations.

An easy daytrip from nearby Bruges, the ancient Flemish city of Ghent has long stood at the confluence of history having been inhabited by the Romans and Celts, plundered by the Vikings and ruled by the House of Hapsburg. Sitting at the meeting place of the Leie and Scheldt rivers, Ghent always had an active trade scene including the wool trade that eventually led to remarkably amicable relationships with Scotland and England during the Middle Ages for its need of the raw material.

Start your day in the Graslei neighborhood and visit one of the city’s highlights, the Cathedral of St. Bavo that holds the Ghent Altarpiece, known formally at The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, and one of the best examples of the Northern Renaissance style of painting. The pieces of the altarpiece, dating from 1430, were moved multiple times between 1816 and World War II (often forcibly) and were returned to Belgium after the Treaty of Versailles. The church also houses pieces from Peter Paul Rubens. After the cathedral, continue on to the Gravensteen, or the Castle of the Counts, a restored fortress with expansive views from the tower. The Museum voor Schone Kunsten has fine art pieces on view, including ones by Flemish masters. Ghent’s culture is also rich in food so pick up pralines and mastellen, a sort of bagel, for an impromptu mid-day picnic.