Belgium: Ghent – Where old meets new

Our second day was spent in the city of Ghent just a short ride down the road from Bruges. While not as picture perfect as Bruges, Ghent boasts an extensive old town and many canals of its own. While many shops were not open during our Sunday visit, we were able to visit a number of excellent museums and buildings including ‘s Gravensteen Castle, the van Aljin House (a local social history museum), and the city’s primary markets and cathedrals.



Central Ghent is dominated by the spires of St. Nicholas Church, the town Belfort and St. Bravo’s cathedral. Vertical lines catch the eye throughout town as the streets remain dominated by stepped Flemish gables.



The heart of Ghent lies along the Leie River between the Korenlei and Graslei streets, seen behind this tourist here. These buildings showcase some of the best architecture in Ghent and take one back to the city’s heyday in the 16th and 17th centuries.



Near the city centre 's Gravensteen Castle still stands watch along the river. While it is the city’s second castle, it is the best preserved and is open for visitors daily and is bound to ‘keep’ any castle lover satisfied.

Don't ask me why the name of this castle starts with an apostrophe s!