You can admire the buildings while strolling by the peaceful canal, before stopping at one of the many eateries. The city is filled with amazing chefs who champion regional foods and local ingredients.
Popular regional foods to try include fries with mayonnaise and stew gravy, creamy fish soup and beef or pork stew. Then alongside a cup of coffee, you must try gestreken mastellen – sweet cinnamon pastries.
Ghent, in the East Flanders region of northern Belgium, is renowned for offering a chilled out vibe, friendly people, and is not packed with tourists. Even though the city is filled with history, it is popular with students and boasts a bustling nightlife.
After visiting, one woman shared her experience online – and is encouraging others to put it on their travel radars. Travel blooger, Caro, says it is the “most underrated city in Belgium”.
Explaining why you should visit, in a TikTok video, the passionate traveller said: “A visit to Ghent means you get to see some of the most iconic Flemish Masters. The most famous painting is the 15th-century Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by the Flemish Masters Jan and Hubert Van Eyck. Other highlights include Christ on a Cross by Antoon van Dyck (in Saint Michael’s Church) and Triptych of Christ on the Cross by the hand of Michiel Coxie (Saint James’ Church).”
She added: “Aside from the classics, Ghent is also brimming with modern art galleries and little theatres.” Caro noted that there are not many cities that have a well-preserved medieval fort smack in the city centre.
Caro was also impressed with the emphasis on eco-friendly living in Ghent. She gushed: “Sustainability is their middle name.
“Ghent spearheaded the plant-based movement in Flanders and is still considered the veggie capital of Europe. Aside from that it was one of the first cities to implement a low-emission zone for cars, has the largest offering of low-impact accommodations and a tons of little local artisanal shops.”
Further to this, she loved how easy it was to get around the city via bike. Caro added: “It’s a breeze to cycle around as the city centre has really good cycling infrastructure. We ended up renting a bike and cycled the 58 km Lys region route around the city.
“This route is one of the circular bike routes aptly named Flanders’ Finest Cycle Routes. These easy to follow paths take you through the prettiest natural, cultural and culinary heritage of the region!”
How to get there
There is not an airport in Ghent, so you will have to fly into Brussels Airport, also known as Zaventem. Brussels Airlines, British Airways, Qatar Airways, American Airlines, Ryanair, United, Air Canada and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct to Brussels.
The average flight time from the UK takes around an hour and 23 minutes.
Brussels Airport is located around 42 miles from Ghent’s centre. A drive from the airport to the city will take around 52 minutes.
Alternatively, you can catch a train from the airport to Ghent which takes around an hour.
