Ghent city walk, quirky charm

Start your city break by visiting the heart of Ghent: the historic centre. This city walk takes about two hours. Absorb the mystery: follow your guide to the Castle of the Counts, the Graslei and Korenlei and Ghent’s famous Three Towers. Let your eyes drink in the modern architecture of the City Pavilion and the rustic charm of the Patershol, an old neighbourhood with mediaeval streets full of restaurants. Join the sociable Ghent residents and enjoy life.

The Citadelpark is a park in Ghent on the brow of a hill between the rivers Scheldt and Lys. This city park was created in 1875 on the place where the Dutch citadel of Ghent formerly stood, built between 1819 and 1831. The citadel, one of the largest and most modern in Europe at the time, was later used as an infantry and artillery barracks. It was in use until 1870. Today it is a great place to enjoy botanical abundance. Spot the name tags that were placed in front of all the remarkable trees in 2005. Here, animal-lovers can take dogs from the rescue centre for a walk. Kids aged 10 and under can have fun in the playground. When the sun is shining, this spot is where Ghent residents and students come to chill out and have a picnic. Enjoy!

Opposite the Castle of the Counts on Sint-Veerleplein lies the monumental gateway (1689) to the Old Fish Market. Neptune keeps watch over the Scheldt (male) and the Lys (female). This fully refurbished complex is home to, among other things, the Ghent Tourist Office: the showpiece of the office is the centrally located multimedia data table. Through innovative touch technology information can be obtained about Ghent, East Flanders and other art cities.

This architectural work of art is a unique meeting place for residents, students and visitors. You can meet other people there, discover culture, enjoy a quiet drink or even try out innovations and technologies like 3D printing and virtual reality for yourself. As well as connecting people, the building links the Historic Centre with the Art Quarter. Various institutions work together and offer services at the site. They are known collectively as ‘the inhabitants of De Krook’. In addition to the city library, Imec (the Flemish research centre for nanoelectronics and digital technologies) and UGent are housed at De Krook. The building also includes a multi-purpose room, a study room and a reading café. The monumental building, which incorporates works by artist Michaël Borremans, was designed by the Ghent architecture firm Coussée & Goris Architecten and their partner TV RCR Aranda Pigem Vilalta Arquitectes. This Spanish architecture firm also won the Pritzker Prize this year, the highest international distinction for architecture!

A weekend trip to Ghent is simply not complete without a visit to the mysterious ‘Castle of the Counts’. This important sight in Ghent is a castle with a very turbulent past, closely intertwined with the complex — often stormy — political and social history of the city. It is the only remaining mediaeval castle with a moat and largely intact defence system in Flanders. Your visit to the Castle of the Counts will give you a complete picture of heraldic culture in the 12th century. The gatehouse, ramparts, keep, count’s residence and stables are open to visitors. Be sure to go up the long spiral staircase to the museum of torture devices on the top floor of the Castle of the Counts. Here, you will find a unique collection of instruments for torture and coercion, as well as a collection of weapons. The Castle of the Counts also hosts all kinds of cultural activities, events and activities, for example during the Ghent Festivities. It is also a popular place to get married for Ghent’s locals. Let’s not forget the time the Castle of the Counts was occupied by protesting students in 1949! Explore the castle during your weekend trip in Ghent and find out all about the ‘Battle of the Castle of the Counts’. The keep, symbol of the Counts’ power Go back in time inside this majestic fortress. Its history goes back to the time of the Roman occupation, when there was already a settlement on a sand bank by the River Lys. After a brief period of Viking plundering, the Counts of Flanders converted the earlier wooden constructions into a keep (living quarters) in the Middle Ages, with ramparts built entirely of stone, replete with 24 towers. The imposing building with its military architecture was a symbol of the Counts’ power in the turbulent city of Ghent. Count Philip and his castle: dominating the city Count Philip of Alsace wanted everyone to know that he was the boss. A Latin inscription above the entrance states that Count Philip (1168-1191) built the castle in 1180. The sense of wealth and power that his castle gave him is brought to life when you stand between the battlements at the top of the keep and gaze out over the vibrant city of Ghent. Industrial revolution banishes knights from Ghent You are bound to be fascinated by the twists and turns in the story of the Castle of the Counts during your weekend getaway. In the late 18th century, the Castle of the Counts was sold to private owners who later converted it into a factory complex. In 1807, the fortress in the heart of Ghent housed a cotton mill, and its outbuildings served as primitive dwellings for about fifty families of workers. When the mill and its workers left, the Castle of the Counts was in a state of complete disrepair, ready for demolition. By that point, the Castle of the Counts was a symbol of abuse of power, feudal repression, horrific torture methods and a cruel inquisition as far as the people of Ghent were concerned. Restoration gave the Castle of the Counts a new meaning and world fame as Ghent’s most important tourist sight, partly due to the World Expo 1913, which took place in Ghent. Do you want to dig deep into the history of Ghent? This is where you need to be. Ghent, full of charming history and modern vibrancy.

The strength of the Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) in Ghent, one of the oldest museums in Belgium, lies in the varied nature of its collection, which is nothing short of remarkable. Never before have old masters and modernists hung side-by-side so perfectly as in this iconic museum building. At the end of the 18th century, Ghent was under French rule and many of the city’s art treasures were seized. Some of them can still be seen in the Louvre in Paris today. Rebellious Ghent wasn’t having any of it, and slowly began to establish a wide-ranging art collection, searching for years to find an appropriate building. The ideal location was found in the building designed by the architect Van Rysselberghe in the Citadelpark, a temple to the arts with a fantastic feeling of spaciousness and a lot of light. The collection, which ranges from Hieronymus Bosch to Rubens and Magritte, has never been shown more attractively than it is today. It covers an enormous variety of paintings, statues, drawings, etchings and tapestries, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. An auditorium, a library, a children’s workshop and a brasserie turn the MSK into a contemporary, multipurpose complex where you can spend many a pleasant hour surrounded by beauty during your weekend trip to Ghent.

This bustling art centre is housed in an impressive 100-year-old monument and offers a variety of cultural events. The focus is on concerts and parties. The spacious Art Deco café and the modern patio at the side of the building are a meeting place for a snack, drink and chat.

Music theatre, concerts and recitals In the first half of the 19th century, rich Ghent industrialists initiated the building of a new and luxurious opera house. It was meant to be the showcase for their newly acquired wealth and no expense was spared. In the splendid horseshoe-shaped theatre, being seen was just as important as seeing. The impressive chandelier is an attraction in itself, just like the three salons, measuring together 90 m long.

Ganda, as Ghent was originally called, arose at the confluence of the Lys and the Scheldt. On that site there is now a marina for passing boat traffic, Portus Ganda. Once filled in to make room for the almighty car, the Lower Scheldt has today been restored to its former glory. Bridges and parks, cosy pavement cafés and a wonderfully restored art deco swimming pool all make up one of Ghent’s most beautiful (new) little corners. Drop anchor at Portus Ganda, less than a kilometre from the heart of the city. You will find all the facilities you need in the splendid Van Eyck swimming baths.

People sometimes say you can recognise a vibrant city by its street art. Ghent is a canvas for street artists, a hip and free-thinking cultural city where everyone is welcome and free to do their thing. The car-free Werregarenstraatje in the centre of Ghent is a graffiti tolerance zone. Officially it is not permitted to do pieces and tags here, but the authorities turn a blind eye. The tolerance zone emerged during the Ghent Festivities in 1995 as a graffiti project with a limited number of works on the walls. Werregarenstraatje quickly earned the nickname "graffiti street”. Nowadays, the street is a cacophony of colours. Werregarenstraatje is a public canvas for young street artists. Here, street artists create striking spray-can art to their heart’s content. This means that Graffiti Street in Ghent never looks the same from one week to the next. Do you like to explore off the beaten track? This alleyway is worth a detour during your weekend getaway. An alley full of colourful Instagram shots.

Belgium’s oldest indoor swimming pool is also the newest: in 2001 it was fully restored so that the splendid art deco design is today more beautiful than ever. Furthermore, the swimming pool also retains its public function as a bathhouse: those without much space at home can pop round and enjoy a long relaxing bath. In the ‘Au Bain’ lounge bar on the first-floor, you can enjoy a wonderful view of the swimming pool and the marina.

The Mystic Lamb, or ‘The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’ by the Van Eyck brothers, completed in 1432, is recognised worldwide as a great work of art, and one of the most influential paintings ever made. It is an absolute must-see on your weekend break to Ghent. A total of 18 panels form a magical evocation of scenes from the Bible, as well as a portrait of the church warden, Joos Vijd, who commissioned the altarpiece, and his wife Elisabeth Borluut. “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb is probably the most influential painting ever made, and it is also the most often stolen work of art in history!” Noah Charney The monumental Mystic Lamb was painted on oak panels covered in thin layers of a mixture of chalk and animal glue. The figures were applied in several layers of oil paint. The combination of the painstaking work and transparent paint creates an extra dimension. Discover it for yourself as you stand in front of this masterpiece. You will see that an inner glow seems to radiate from the painting: the light of the divine. Hubert van Eyck painted part of the Ghent Altarpiece that includes the Mystic Lamb, but was never able to finish it. His younger brother Jan, an absolute master of the art of painting, is said to have finished this masterpiece a few years after Hubert’s death. On the morning of 11 April 1934, Ghent woke up to news of a disaster. Two panels of the Ghent Altarpiece, ‘The Just Judges’ and ‘John the Baptist’ had been stolen from St Bavo’s Cathedral! This daring theft has grown to become one of the most fascinating art robberies of the 20th century. It remains unsolved. Later the ‘John the Baptist’ panel was returned anonymously, but ‘The Just Judges’ is still lost without trace. Today you can find the Mystic Lamb where it belongs: in St Bavo’s Cathedral. Admittedly there is still a reproduction in the place of the stolen panel, ‘The Just Judges’. Whether or not the missing panel is ever found, this theft has given rise to all sorts of exciting stories and mysterious conspiracy theories. Head to Ghent city museum, STAM, for a spot of detective work to track down the world-famous missing panel, ‘The Just Judges’. The Mystic Lamb: devoted restoration This world-famous masterpiece by the Van Eyck Brothers in Ghent has been restored many times in the past. It has been undergoing thorough restoration and conservation work since 2012. During its turbulent history, the Mystic Lamb has survived transportation, changes in temperature and humidity, horrifying attacks with a saw and fire damage. Contemplate the intensive renovation work on this religious masterpiece right before your eyes in the MSK. Stand behind bulletproof glass to watch 11 international restorers removing layers of varnish and later additions and touching up blemishes with paintbrushes. Unique and unbelievably fascinating! Does The Mystic Lamb make you want more? You’re in luck, because once a month the restoration team gives a talk on the restoration of this masterpiece. Adore the Lamb Here’s a fascinating fact: The Mystic Lamb was rescued in 1945 by the famous ‘Monuments Men’. The Mystic Lamb was welcomed home like a king by the ecstatic people of Ghent, who lined the streets in a respectful guard of honour. There is a film of the amazing story of the Monuments Men, American art commandos who brought confiscated art back to where it belonged. The film, ‘The Monuments Men’, begins in St Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent. The people of Ghent adore the Mystic Lamb, and rightfully so, but they also have a sense of humour. You can see proof of this in this spoof video about the Mystic Lamb. Heavenly graffiti in Ghent Discover the graffiti version of the Mystic Lamb in Ghent during your city trip as well! When ‘The Monuments Men’ came out in the cinema, graffiti artist Bart Smeets spray-painted a huge mural on the side of the house on the corner of Van Stopenberghestraat, near St Bavo’s Cathedral. The film producer, 20th Century Fox, was looking for a contemporary way to draw attention to ‘The Monuments Men’. The city of Ghent welcomed this new painting with open arms as an ongoing promotion for the Mystic Lamb that plays a prominent role in the film. Enchanted by the Mystic Lamb? Does The Mystic Lamb make you want more? During your weekend getaway to Ghent, enjoy a guided walking tour around the city of Ghent. The Province of East Flanders and the guides’ associations also adore the altarpiece and offer city walks in Ghent on the theme of the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.