Belgium pt. 2: Ghent

The other city we visited during our Belgium adventure (Part 1: Bruges) was Ghent. We also passed briefly through Brussels, but Ghent and Bruges were, without a doubt, the stars of the trip. 

I don't think I mentioned in my previous post that we rented a car for a road trip instead of taking the train. I wouldn't recommend it! I especially wouldn't recommend getting a manual transmission (most rentals are manual, or it's much more expensive for automatic) if your husband just learned how to drive a stick and has an hour of experience... and that experience is on the other side of the road. Next time, we'll just take trains, but it made for some great stories!

Korenlei/Graslei, St. Michael's Bridge

We only had 24 hours in Ghent, but the city centre is compact, so you're able to see a lot in a little amount of time. As with Bruges, Ghent is in the Flemish Region of Belgium and Flemish (sometimes referred to as Belgian Dutch) is the most common language, but almost everyone speaks amazing English as well. Also, everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful, making it easy to navigate the city.

We stayed in the Hotel Gravensteen along the river, across from the Gravensteen Castle and minutes from the historic walking area of Korenlei and Graslei. After check in, we strolled these picturesque streets and were transported centuries back as we took in the Gothic architecture.

Next, we crossed St. Michael's Bridge and visited the 3 Towers: Sint-Baafs (St. Bavo's) Cathedral, Sint-Niklaaskerk (Saint Nicholas' Church), and The Belfry. Stunning.

St. Michael's Bridge and the 3 Towers

After sightseeing, we walked over to Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant, an amazing beer house right on the river (a must go! and ended up staying here for the evening because it was Sunday and most restaurants were closed. I didn't mind, given that the beer list was gigantic and they had the Olympics on TV!

Canal at night - Bierhuis on the right

The next day, we had a late breakfast in Vrijdagmarkt square, then explored the lovely street of Kraanlei along the river and adjacent neighborhood of Patershol. Patershol is the old part of the city and has kept its medieval charm with narrow, cobblestone streets and various cafes and restaurants.

We also toured Gravensteen Castle (built in 1180!) and saw panoramic views of the city from the top....

Belgium made for the perfect weekend trip and I'd love to go back and spend more time, if only for the delicious beers!