Monuments and churches

St Bavo’s Cathedral

[Sint-Baafskathedraal route ]

A trove of art treasures: 22 altars (!), a Rococo pulpit in marble and oak and of course the exquisite highlight: ‘The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’ by the Van Eyck brothers.

Castle of the Counts

[Gravensteen route ]

An imposing stronghold in the heart of the city. Follow the digital tour or simply close your eyes and imagine yourself as a knight or noblewoman.

St Nicholas’ Church

[Sint-Niklaaskerk route ]

A unique example of Scheldt Gothic style. Restoration begun in the 1960s is still in progress...

Above the Ghent skyline towers the Old Belfry, lonely and grey, an iconic symbol of the past. The dragon above searches the horizon, the Klokke Roeland warns the citizenry of approaching enemies. Recognised by Unesco as a World Heritage Site.

St Peter’s Abbey

[Sint-Pietersabdij route ]

The refectory wing of St Peter's Abbey is authentically medieval. The splendid...

Town Hall

[Stadhuis route ]

Flamboyant Gothic style in Hoogpoort, sober Renaissance style on the Botermarkt. The people of Ghent say ‘I do’ in the splendid Wedding Chapel.

St Michael’s Church

[Sint-Michielskerk route ]

The steeple of St Michael’s Church should have stood out above all the others, but history decided otherwise...

Pand

[Pand route ]

This former Dominican friary was beautifully restored and now belongs to the University of Ghent. It is mainly used as a conference centre...

St Bavo’s Abbey

[Sint-Baafsabdij route ]

You are on historic ground here. In the 7th century, Amandus van Gent founded St Bavo’s Abbey here in an attempt to convert...

St. James’ Church

[Sint-Jacobskerk route ]

The two towers still date from the Romanesque period, but since then the church has undergone much devastation, expansion and renovation....

Our Lady of St Peter’s Church

[O.L.V.-Sint-Pieterskerk route ]

This imposing church was built on the foundations of the previous Romanesque abbey church...

The Castle of Gerald the Devil

[Geeraard de Duivelsteen route ]

Despite the name and its grim appearance, the devil has never resided in this 13th-century fortress. Through..

Carmelite Friary – Provincial Centre of Art and Culture

[Caermersklooster route ]

At the end of the last century, this friary of the Calced Carmelites was fully restored.

Great Butchers’ Hall

[Vleeshuis route ]

The Great Butchers'Hall dates back to the 15th century, when meat halls were indoor market places with centralised sales to monitor the freshness and quality of the meat.

Old Fish Market

[Vismijn route ]

Opposite the Castle of the Counts on the Sint-Veerleplein lies the monumental gateway to the Old Fish Market...

Royal Dutch Theatre

[NTGent route ]

In the façade above the entrance, Apollo and his muses look out over the beautifully renovated Sint-Baafsplein, as you yourself can as you enjoy a bite or a drink on the terrace on the first floor.

Flanders Opera Ghent

[Opera route ]

The first half of the 19th century, rich Ghent industrialists initiated the building of a new and luxurious opera house...

't Toreken

[‘t Toreken route ]

Today the 15th-century Toreken, at that time the guild hall of the tanners, is home to the Poetry Centre.

Achtersikkel

[Achtersikkel route ]

It is difficult to believe, but less than fifty metres from bustling Sint-Baafsplein you will find an oasis of calm: the Achtersikkel.

The Book Tower

[Boekentoren route ]

Ghent's fourth tower is a modernist masterpiece by the Belgian architect Henry Van de Velde.

University Auditorium

[Aula route ]

Eight Corinthian pillars crowned with a triangular pediment. The auditorium hosts proclamations...

The Episcopal Palace

Behind the Castle of Gerald the Devil looms the imposing dome of...

Hotel d’Hane-Steenhuyse

[Hotel d’Hane-Steenhuyse route ]

In his 1767 building application, the German Count Emmanuel Ignace d'Hane asked for permission to rebuild the front of his house, located in the Veldstraat....

Hof van Rijhove

Originally a 14th-century castle, the restored Hof van Rijhove illustrates the development of seven centuries of domestic culture in an authentic Ghent mansion...

Former Post Office

The former post office, with its beautiful clock tower, now houses a shopping centre.

Masons’ Guild Hall

A house from the 16th century with a 13th-century cellar. Atop the stepped gable six dancers spin merrily in the wind. You’ll find an exact copy on the Graslei, built for the World Exhibition of 1913.

St Anne’s Church

[Sint-Annakerk route ]

For years it remained hidden behind scaffolding, but you can now ...

Vooruit Arts Centre

[Vooruit Kunstencentrum route ]

Dance, theatre, performance, literature and a generous portion of rock ‘n’ roll...

Law Courts

[Justitiepaleis route ]

To solve the permanent lack of space, a modern building for the law courts was erected...

Van Eyck Swimming Baths

[Zwembad Van Eyck route ]

Belgium’s oldest indoor swimming pool is also the newest: in 2001 it was fully restored so that the splendid art deco design is today more beautiful than ever.

Augustine Monastery

The home of the Augustines was founded in 1296 when the Bishop of Tournai gave these preachers...

Carmelite Monastery

The Carmelite Monks form a living community in Ghent...

Rabot

[Rabot route ]

In 1488, Maximilian of Austria took advantage of a weak point in Ghent’s defences to seize the city. When, after 40 days of siege, his army withdrew without having accomplished their mission, the city...

The Big Cannon

[Groot Kanonplein route ]

This impressive cast-iron cannon weighs 12,500 kg and is known in popular parlance as the ‘dulle griet’ (evil woman)...

Minard Theatre

[Minardschouwburg route ]

Romain De Coninck, founder and driving force behind the Minard, keeps a permanent watch over his popular theatre.

Leopold Barracks

[Leopoldskazerne route ]

With its thick walls, battlements, corner turrets and embrasures, the five-sided barracks still look above all like a fortified stronghold. However...