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📍 Ghent

Ghent is Belgium's third-largest city, after Brussels (Brussels) and Antwerp (Antwerp). Ghent was once the capital of the medieval country of Vlaanderen (Vlaanderen), and was once one of the largest and richest cities in Northern Europe due to the booming wool and linen industry. Today, we're going to visit this medieval city and explore its historical stories.

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Ghent Town Hall Stadhuis van Gent

The Ghent Town Hall was built in the 16th century and is famous for its Gothic and Renaissance façade. It is located in Korenmarkt Gent/Post Plaza (Korenmarkt Gent/Post Plaza) and is a popular place for residents and visitors to meet and shop.

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There are many exquisite medals on the ground of the square, and it looks like they should be depicting an old grain square.

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St Nicholas' Church

St. Nicholas is a gothic church built in the 13th century, famous for its blue stone construction in Tournai. Unlike being located above the entrance on weekdays, its tower is located at the intersection of the nave and the veranda, so that light can naturally illuminate the nave. After several steps were built, the church has many paintings and statues from the 15th to the 19th century, and is now one of the examples of contemporary architecture and historical heritage working together to protect it.

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The St. Nicholas store sells a lot of souvenirs or religious items, and there are also free store signs outside the store, so visitors can take them home and put them in front of the door!

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Ghent City Hall Stadshal

Ghent City Hall is the only modern and unique building in the square, which contrasts strongly with the ancient bell tower next to it. The original intention was to redevelop Ghent's historic city center and public spaces. It received a lot of criticism when it was built in 2012 simply because the modern materials used were out of step with the nearby historic architecture.

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St Bavo's Cathedral

The history of St. Bavo's Cathedral dates back to the mid-12th century. It is said that the bishop at the time dedicated a church for St. John the Baptist at this place in 942, and we can still find traces of this Roman-style church below in the basement. This church is most famous for “Ghent Altarpiece” (Ghent Altarpiece), also known as “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” (Adoration of the Mystic Lamb).

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Initially, the mayor of Ghent invited Dutch painter Hubert van Eyck (Hubert van Eyck) to make a set of altar paintings. However, after Schubert's death in 1426, the famous painter Jan van Eyck (Jan van Eyck) took over and completed his brother's work. This multi-winged “opening and closing” painting is based on the “Bible” and expresses the praise and praises of Jesus sacrificing himself to save humanity. After experiencing fire, war, and theft, this masterpiece was exhibited in front of the public in 1951 after thorough restoration work. Now, visitors can use augmented reality (AR) to understand this painting through interactive technology.

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Graffiti Alley/Werregarenstraat

Graffiti Street is a vibrant alley famous for its rich graffiti art. The city of Ghent wants to use this street to show the city's freedom of thought and promote everyone's welcome to do what they want in Ghent. As a result, this alley has attracted many street artists and visitors, and they can discover all kinds of topics and stories here.

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Earl of Flanders Castle Gravensteen

Count of Flanders Castle was built in the 12th century by the then lord Philip of Alsace (Philip of Alsace), and was the home of several lords of Belgium. This place was later converted into a court, prison, mint, and even a cotton factory. The city of Ghent bought the castle in 1885 and began restoration work. Although the city walls and dungeon were restored to their original state, there were many disputes about whether the castle was still “authentic”. Despite this, the current castle has been turned into a museum showcasing Ghent's history.

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How to get to Ghent?

💡 Transportation:Airline ticket price / Travel to Belgium by Eurostar or train