Baroque, Renaissance, Classicism, Gothic and Romanesque styles are intertwined in the city’s architecture. It seems that Ghent was created to take magical photos for Instagram. I’ll take you on a virtual tour and show you where to stop for the coolest shots.
How to get from Brussels to Ghent
Ghent is half an hour from Brussels, on the way to Bruges. For a superficial acquaintance with the city, 3—4 hours is enough, but if you want to immerse yourself in the atmosphere, architecture and history of the city, to see it in lights, it is worth coming at least for a day.
Train
The most comfortable and fastest way to get from Brussels to Ghent is by train. They run several times an hour, starting at 5am and ending at 12am. From Brussels, trains depart from Brussel-Zuid (Bruxelles-Midi) and Bruxelles-Central stations and arrive at Ghent’s central station St. Pieters. The center of Ghent is a 20-minute walk from the train station.
- Ticket: 9 € one way.
- You can buy tickets at the train station, on the Belgian Railways website or from the conductor, in the latter case the ticket costs 7 € more.
Bus
The bus is not as popular an option, but it is a cheaper option. Flixbus buses run between the cities, costing €5 one way. The bus departs from Brussel-Nord station. The journey takes 1 hour.
Top 6 photogenic places in Ghent
Gravensteen Castle (Gravensteen)
The castle was built in 1180 and in the Middle Ages it was the residence of the Counts of Flanders. Later it housed a court and a prison. Since 1807, silk production began in one of the towers of the castle, while the other towers housed workers and their families. The castle was in a dismal state until the government bought it out of private ownership in the 19th century.
No matter where you take photos against the background of the castle, they will look spectacular. A walk near the castle is enough for a beautiful shot, and if you are interested in its history, you can go inside.
- Mode of operation: April — October from 10:00 to 18:00; in winter from 9:00 to 17:00. No weekends.
- Admission: 10 €
St. Bavon Cathedral (Sint Baafskathedraal)
I wanted to go to Ghent myself after seeing a blogger’s photo of this cathedral in the background. It is beautiful from every angle. The best shots are when you turn onto small streets along the streetcar tracks or stand on St. Michael’s Bridge. The main thing is to have fewer people in the frame.
The cathedral is the main pride of Ghent. It is named after the nobleman Bavon, who gave away all his wealth to the poor and settled in a monastery. The first mention of the cathedral dates back to the 10th century. It survived several fires, had different names, at first it had a Romanesque style, and after another fire it became Gothic.
The inside of the cathedral is as impressive as the outside, with graceful altars by Rubens, a rococo pulpit, and a baroque cathedral organ — the largest organ in the Benelux, which included Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.
- Office hours are Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Admission: 4 €.
Beffroy Tower (Belfort van Gent)
Another good place for a photo is the Beffroy tower or bell tower. It is one of three structures in the line of Ghent towers that form a straight line leading to St. Michael’s Bridge. The other two are the church of St. Nicholas and the cathedral of St. Bavon. Construction of the bell tower began in 1313, and in 1382 the spire of the 95-meter tower was decorated with a legendary fire-breathing dragon, which, despite several reconstructions of the roof, has remained unchanged.
Legend has it that the dragon was the treasurer and guarded the city, watching over it from on high. The dragon had previously adorned the now defunct Donna Cathedral in Bruges. After another battle for Ghent’s independence, the dragon was brought here as a trophy. It is said that for 400 years it spewed fire from its jaws during important city festivals.
Since 1999, the tower has been on the UNESCO list.
- Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 18:00.
- Admission: 8 €. There are guided tours daily at 15:30 for 3 €.
St. Michael’s Bridge (Sint-Michielsbrug)
Opposite St. Michael’s Church is the bridge of the same name. It offers panoramas of the old town, the Korenlei and Grassley promenades, the line of Ghent towers: the Cathedral of St. Bavon, the Church of St. Nicholas and the Beffroy Bell Tower. And the bridge itself is decorated with a statue of the Archangel Michael piercing a snake with a bronze sword.
This is definitely the place to stay for an hour to take a photo. The location is very successful, it offers views of interesting places, and most importantly, it’s always crowded, so you’ll need time (or photoshop) to take a photo without crowds.
Graslei Quay (Graslei Quay)
You can also take a good picture on the Graslei promenade. Gothic meets Renaissance and Baroque meets Classicism — an interesting combination. You can either take a general shot of the waterfront, as I did in my photo, or come up with an idea for a shot in front of each house.
Once a harbor for merchant ships, it is now the hallmark of Ghent. The quay has retained its original appearance from the XII–XIX centuries, with houses lined up in a line. There are pleasure boats on the river and many cafes with terraces on the promenade itself. The views are marvelous in the evening when the city lights up, playing in the river with the reflections of the houses.
St Michael s Church (St Michael s Church)
St. Michael’s Cathedral is located by the bridge of the same name. The construction of the church began in the XV century, but due to the religious wars of the next century it was completed only in the XVII century. The church is the latest Gothic building in Ghent. The neo-Gothic interior of the cathedral contains an altar and pulpit, Rococo statues and Baroque paintings. The painting «The Crucifixion of Christ» from 1630 is the main decoration of the church.
- Opening hours: weekdays 14:00 — 17:00, Saturday and Sunday — day off.
What to try in Ghent
After the photo walk, it is worth tasting the local specialties. The main culinary attraction of Ghent is beer. Here it is drunk in flasks on wooden stands. I don’t like beer and don’t know much about it, but in Ghent I risked to try it, was pleasantly surprised and spent half of my country budget on it. Went to different pubs. Everywhere cool atmosphere and lots of people.
A small glass of beer will cost from 2 €. I was particularly impressed by the mild wheat, cactus and apple beers — the main thing is to stop in time.
In Ghent, as in the rest of Belgium, pubs have interesting interiors: you can’t fail to get a camera.
There are not very many sights in Ghent, you can see them in 3—4 hours, and then just walk along the narrow streets of the old city, admire the architecture and take photos against the background of cute houses.
When going for a stroll in the old town, grab a couple of Belgian waffles — and get the most authentic Belgian food photos. A waffle with nutella costs €4 a piece. For that price, the waffle is small and no different from the ones I’ve tried in other countries, but since Belgium is famous for its waffles, it’s impossible not to try them here.
I fell in love with Ghent from the first picture on Instagram and it is one of the few cities that exceeded my expectations.
My only regret was that I came in jeans, and there were so many photogenic places in Ghent. If you get the chance, bring a dress and you’ll take photos that will blow up your Instagram.
