Ghent. Anybody been?

[Scrattajack]

Spouse has suggested a long weekend in Ghent later in the year. Apart from the obvious access to Belgian beer, what are the pluses and minuses of the place? I suspect we're going anyway but forearmed and all that...

 

[Robin54]

Bruge is a lot nicer, and still some great bars etc

 

[Scrattajack]

Bruge is a lot nicer, and still some great bars etc

Yeah, been there, lovely place.

 

[The Baron]

Ghent is nice but a day is enough to see it, I went on a trip from Brugge when I was staying there as a base. Lovely Market square etc maybe try and find a brewery that is local for a trip

 

[Pennine]

Ghent is also only an hour away from de struise and wesvleteren. Its a great city to see, less touristy than Bruges.

 

[Sandimas]

Yes I've been to Ghent, used it as a base inc a visit to Bruges. When are you going? If later in the year it has a great Christmas market.

Also very impressed that out chain hotel (Ibis?) had an awesome bar with a great selection of Belgian beer.

 

[Scrattajack]

When are you going? If later in the year it has a great Christmas market.

September, I'm told.

 

[dcbrookes]

If you are interested in art the Van Eyck altarpiece in St Baavo's Cathedral is a must see.

 

[Guzzie]

You haven't said how you are travelling. If you are going by car then stay at the Holiday inn Expo Ghent you can walk across the car park and there is a tram terminal which takes you straight into the centre. You can buy tickets at the hotel reception.

 

[Dutto]

Bruge is a lot nicer, and still some great bars etc

Went to Ghent after finding the body of a young woman in the Bruge > Ghent Canal in 2004 …

… and very much agree that Bruge is a much better place to visit.

Apart from the breweries, the main square and the cafés during the day, we particularly liked the lighting and subsequent reflections off the water at night!

Enjoy!
:hat:

 

[Twopan]

If you have already been to Brugge, then Gent is a good subsequent visit. We went for three days in late October. You will see everything in that time and it is less touristy, but full of historic Flemish charm. The Belfort is a must, and the museum of Gent is brilliant - a little further out of the centre on the way to the port. The castle is good as well. Food and beer excellent of course. Go and drink in the Bierhuis - does what it says on the tin. Also did the design museum but found that to be well weird! Go to the tourist office in the old Fish Market and pick up the free guide booklet which has everything in it. Local beer is Gentse Strop. Good example of Belgian pale.

 

[jceg316]

I went to Ghent for the weekend a few years ago and quite enjoyed it. It's a nice picturesque town with a Cathedral and canal yet not terribly touristy. Nice cafes and bars to get good Belgian beer at, and I remember we went ot this beer shop with hundreds of different beers available. I thought the food wasn't so good though. When we got the Belgian food it was nice but if we got any other style or cuisine type it was pretty bad.

Overall I enjoyed it and would go back.

 

[chthon]

As someone who lives in the vicinity of Bruges, my wife and me like to visit Ghent better. The difference is that the inner city of Brugge is much smaller, while in Gent there is a busy center, but there are also more things around and spread out. In Gent, for some things you need public transport, mostly the tram.

But you can't compare the Gent of 2004 with the current one. There have been big improvements, new small shops, upgrade of the old industrial sites and so on, many more nice places in small streets.

If you want beer, you should go to Dok Noord (but if you can't go with the car you need public transport). "De Hopduvel" has moved there in the last two year, and there is the "Dok Brewing Company" with their eating and tap room.

Eating? Go to "Jilles" (which is the name of the owner, who is from Gent), hamburgers and a nice selection of matching (or non-matching beers). Other nice places to eat are "Mosquito Coast" (at the other side of the Novotel hotel) and "Umamido" and "Pain Perdu". Another nice shop is "Bookz&Booze" (no beer, more spirits, and books, lots of books).

 

[GhostShip]

I've been to both Ghent and Bruges and would put Ghent at the top of the tree every time. Far less touristy, it's a lovely university city with lots of great architecture and bars everywhere. I just found it a really nice place to wander around, stopping for a beer/coffee every so often and coming across markets or churches to explore, without the crowds you get in Bruges. I would definitely go back.

 

[trummy]

Visit the Bicycle pub if its still there. Ignore the one inch build up of dust on the fine collection of memorabilia.

 

[Robin54]

I played football in Ghent 50 years ago and lost 3-0 The place is rubbish

 

[dcbrookes]

This is my caravan and Saab 900 Turbo on my first visit to Ghent thirty years ago: can anyone identify the make and model of caravan?