Gent Tourist Information
No other Flemish city has as many historic buildings as Gent. Anyone visiting the Arteveld city is embarking on a walk through the history of Europe. Furthermore, the city's central location at the confluence of the Scheldt and Lys is ideal for day-trips to Brugge, Antwerpen, Brussel, Tournai and Lille. All these cities are within less than one hour's drive.
The skyline of Gent is dominated by three towers. The most impressive is that of Saint Bavo's Cathedral. This cathedral, with sections in Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque style, is well worth the visit for so many reasons. Charles V was baptised in this church in 1500. This is also home to the world-famous painting "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" by the Van Eyck brothers.
The second Gent tower belongs to a place of worship, the no less impressive Saint Nicholas' Church.
The third tower is that of the Belfort, which forms a whole with the Lakenhalle (Clothmakers' Hall). The silhouette of the 95 metre high belfry is a proud symbol of the power of the mediaeval guilds. At 65 metres high, the uppermost gallery offers a unique view of the city.
Opposite the Belfry, you will find the City Hall. With a late Gothic wing and a Renaissance wing, this building forms a remarkable synthesis of Gent's architectural history. In one of the impressive rooms, the Pacification of Gent was signed in 1576, and religious peace between Catholics and Protestants became reality.
Nobody visiting Gent can resist the temptation to strol along the Graslei or the Korenlei. These are among the most elegant streets in Flanders. Historically important houses from the 12th to the 17th century are reflected in the water of the Lys. If you want to improve the view still further, you can admire it from a boat on the river. Nearby, sightseeing boat tours set off for trips around the city. A little further on, in the shadow of the Palace of Justice, you can also climb on board for a romantic boat trip on the Lys to Deurle or Sint-Martens-Latem. Mooring here will introduce you to the splendours of the Lys valley landscape, that has inspired so many generations of painters.
At the end of the Graslei, where the Lys and the Lieve merge, rises the imposing Gravensteen. This mediaeval water fort dates from the 12th century and was built by the Counts of Flanders. The fort has withstood the ravages of time, and now houses a historic museum devoted to the practices of mediaeval torture and the administration of justice. From the roof, you have a fine panorama over the city centre, in particular of the Patershol, a district where the mediaeval street pattern and housing have remained virtually intact.
In the Patershol, you will find the unique Museum of Folk Art with 18 typical Flemish houses, which are a reminder of the life of the people of Gent in around 1900. Gent also has a wealth of museums. In the Citadel park are the Fine Arts Museum, with an outstanding collection of Flemish paintings from the Flemish Primitives to the Latem School, and the brand new SMAK, which in Dutch stands for Municipal Museum of Modern Art, run by maverick curator Jan Hoet. The Museum of Antiquity, with its wonderful collection of old utensils, weapons and clothing, is housed in the former Cistercian abbey of Bijloke. The mediaeval Saint Pieter's Abbey now houses the Centre for Art and Culture.
Gent is a shopping paradise. The Arteveld city has an implausibly large number of shopping streets and lanes, from the Kouter to the Volderstraat, from the Veldstraat and the Brabantdam to the Langemunt and the Friday market...
This large square in the middle of the city is surrounded by elegant old guild houses. This is where a great deal of public life used to be played out. On the Friday market place, with the statue of folk hero Jacob van Artevelde in the centre, you will find the beating heart of the Gentse Feesten. Click here for more info about other Gent events. For ten days around 21 July, the national holiday, the Gent city centre goes wild. Concerts, street theatre, parades, folk balls and banquets provide the material for a ten-day long Flemish fair. A must for any visitor.
Gent was the birthplace of Emperor Charles V, exactly 500 years ago. Between September 1999 and June 2000, Gent will be commemorating its most famous "notorious" son in exhibitions and cultural events. During all those festivities, the love-hate relationship between the Arteveld city and the Emperor will come to the fore. It was Charles V who earned the people of Gent their nickname of "noose-wearers", because they had to beg the Emperor for forgiveness with a noose around their necks.
© by Belgium Tourism
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