Of the four Belgian cities we visited, Ghent was my favorite. It’s not too big that you don’t feel like you get a feel of the city. It’s not too small where you find yourself bored after a few hours. There is beautiful architecture everywhere and such rich history. Belgium is a hidden gem in Europe, and Ghent is a must-see.

Sights to See

The farther west you go in Belgium (and closer to the Netherlands), the people embrace Flemish as their language of choice. Most people in Belgium are at least bilingual, French and Flemish, but the westerns identify with their language. Flanders is a completely different environment than Brussels, but for the better.

Saint Bavo’s Cathedral

Our first stop in Ghent was to Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, or Sint-Baafskathedraal in Flemish. When we visited, the outside was under construction, but the inside was as beautiful as ever. I had wanted to see the cathedral after watching the movie The Monuments Men, which is based off a book that tells the true story of Allied forces searching for stolen artwork during World War II. One of the paintings that was recovered from the Nazis was “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” by the Van Eyck brothers. It consists of twelve panels that were painted during the 1400s and costs €4 to see. Several of the panels went missing during WWII, but were recovered. One panel is still missing and people are still searching.

The Belfort

One hundred yards from the cathedral is the Belfry, or Belfort – in Flemish. Luckily, this Belfry had an elevator (instead of long, winding stairs) that took us to the top to give us a look over the beautiful city of Ghent. The passages up top can be super narrow — not good for claustrophobic people.

Apart from the amazing views, the Belfry has one of my favorite stories from Ghent. On top of the Belfry is a golden dragon, and there have been three in its history. The first one sat atop of the Belfry for 500 years, dating back to medieval times. The second one was then placed up top, but during WWII, Nazis shot at it because they were bored. They had to replace the dragon once again, so now there is a third dragon that sits on top, serving as the guardian and protector of the city. You can see the second dragon, bullet holes and all, in display inside the Belfry. Daenerys Targaryen would be proud.

Never Too Many Cathedrals

On the other side of the Belfry is another cathedral. It’s called the Saint Nicholas Church and it was our fifth on our Benelux tour. I snapped a photo of it from the Belfry. It’s pretty cool looking from the outside, but if I’m being honest, it’s not that great on the inside. Still, it’s something grand we don’t see often in the USA.

Castles and Canals

Sometimes it seems like every city in Europe claims to be “the Venice of _____”. Ghent is filled with canals, but it never claims to be anything it isn’t. The canals are pretty awesome and add some real European flair to the feel of the city. It’s really cute to see the canals with the gingerbread-looking houses standing along side it.

A trip in Europe is also incomplete without finding some sort of castle. We found one that looked almost stereotypical … but not in a bad way! Unfortunately, it cost money to enter and it was under construction, but it was still awesome to look at from the outside. Plus, the sky was so blue!

Ghent is filled with so many cute buildings, plazas, churches, etc. You can not be bored here!

I Love the Nightlife

Ghent is pretty cool at night. The buildings are all lit up and it looks really pretty next to the water from the canals. It’s a nice, safe place to walk around at night and enjoy yourself. There are many nice bars that cater to both locals and tourists. Ghent is a “college” town, so there is something for everyone.

One of the best places we went is called ’t Dreupelkot … don’t ask me how to say it! It’s hidden in an alleyway, so you really have to look for it! It specialized in a Belgian alcohol called jenever. Jenever is a sweet liquor served in a shot class. Don’t take it like a shot, though! It’s meant to be enjoyed slowly. Just sip it. There are so many different flavors from chocolate to mango and even cactus! There are over 100 different flavors, so you’re bound to find something you like. The owner is always there and it has a really hip and local feel to you.

Like a Fairy Tale

I absolutely loved the city of Ghent. It felt like a step back in time while also feeling modern. There’s a pretty big university in the city, too, so there are plenty of young people that are always walking around. Ghent was open and had a great atmosphere about it. I absolutely recommend anyone going to Belgium to go to Ghent. It was my favorite city to visit. Everything was great there, from the hostel to the transportation to the food.