There are many best things to do in Ghent in 6 hours.
Ghent is one of the most beautiful cities we have visited. It is smaller than Brussels or Antwerp but has much to offer.
This town is in the Province of East Flanders, Belgium’s second most populated Municipality.
The city of Ghent is packed with history, and in ancient times it suffered many wars between the French and the Count of Flanders. Because Ghent needed raw textile materials provided by England important for the Wool Industry, Ghent and England fought together during the Hundred Years War.
Curiosity: Did you know that John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, was born in Ghent in 1340? During the Hundred Years War, Ghent fought side by side with Edward III, so Ghent was the birthplace of his fourth son, John of Gaunt (i.e., of Ghent).
how to get to Ghent
Plane
The easiest way to get to Ghent is to fly to Brussels and, from the main Brussels Airport, take a train to Ghent. It takes only 40 minutes, and it is easy to travel.
Train
The railway system in Ghent connects this town to neighbouring cities or other points of interest in Europe. The central train station in Ghent is Gent-Sint-Pieters.
Car
We usually travel by car in Europe since we like to take our three dogs with us. This time it was no exception. We drove to Ghent from the UK. It took us about 4 hours to get to Ghent from Bristol.
Places to stay in Ghent
We stayed at the Hotel Den Briel for one night. Prices are average for a hotel just a 20-minute walk from the city centre.
The hotel charges 10 euros per dog and 15 euros for daily parking. So that was a total of 146 euros for one night.
Best Things to do in Ghent in 6 hours
Ghent is a city to be noticed, from medieval castles to modern state-of-the-art buildings. We were surprised at how beautiful the city is because when we think of Belgium, only the big cities like Brussels and Antwerp come to mind.
For that reason we decided to make Ghent our first stop from Bristol to the Czech Republic.
We arrived at 13h and had only the afternoon to explore the city because the next day, we would be on the road again. Planning to see the best things to do in Ghent in 6 hours wasn’t easy because this medieval town offers so much.
Check out the 8 Best things to do in Ghent in 6 hours
Visit the Belfry of Ghent
The Belfry of Ghent is a magnificent medieval tower 91 meters tall and built in the 14th century. The Cloth Hall was finished only in 1907 and nowadays is a part of the Unesco World Heritage.
Climb the stairs and enjoy a fantastic view of the city.
To buy tickets in advance for the Belfry of Ghent clique here.
Check out the Saint Bavos Cathedral
Just a 2-minute walk from the Belfry, you will reach the Saint Bavos Cathedral.
Saint Bavos Cathedral’s construction finished in the 16th century. From a Romanesque to a Gothic style, this beautiful Cathedral is the home to the famous Ghent Altarpiece, “The Mystic Lamb”.
The “Mystic Lamb”, also called “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb”, comprises 12 beautiful panels and represents the biblical events of Jesus Christ’s life. The Van Eyck brothers started this masterpiece in 1420 and completed it in 1432.
It was, as a matter of fact, the most revolutionary painting because it was the first major oil painting in the world.
You can visit the Cathedral only for free, but you need a ticket to see the “Mystic Lamb”. To buy tickets in advance to see the “Ghent Altarpiece”, click here.
Take a look at the Saint Nicholas Church
Check out the Saint Nicholas Church, about 4 minutes from the Saint Bavos Cathedral.
This fantastic building is one of the oldest churches in Ghent. It was built in the 13th century and restored recently in the 20th century. The beautiful Gothic architecture is still evident in this fantastic monument.
Have a break and enjoy the restaurants
Ghent will always be there if you want a bite to eat or try a local beer. There are several restaurants and snack bars to eat and enjoy the seating area outside.
Cross the Saint-Michaels Bridge
After a short break, we continued our small tour to check the best things to do in Ghent in 6 hours. We reached a beautiful bridge, The Saint Michaels Bridge.
The Saint Michaels Bridge is a stone-arched bridge finally completed in the 20th century. It flows over the Leie River (Or Lys River) and connects the two main quays of the city. On the right side of the river, you can check The Graslei (or Grass Quay), and the Korenlei (or Corn Quay) is on the left bank of the river.
The views from the bridge are beautiful, and you can see the Saint Nicholas Church architecture at a distance.
Sit by the Leie River
Relaxing by the Leie River is excellent, especially on hot summer days. Bring a snack and a cold drink and sit by the river. It was also nice to check the riverboats while our dogs were trying to chase the seagulls. Sitting by the river was actually one of the best things to do in Ghent in 6 hours.
Check out the Korenlei and Graslei
The Korenlei (Corn Quay) and Graslei (Grass Quay) used to be the main ports in Ghent. Trading was predominant.
Nowadays, it is a tourist place full of cafes and restaurants but you can still admire a lot of medieval architecture. Although the facades are not the oldest, because a lot of it was rebuilt during the 18th and 19th centuries, it still felt like we would see knights and princesses wandering around at some point.
Visit the Gravensteen
And welcome to the Castle of Counts. Although it looks smaller than most castles, it has much to offer. The Gravensteen origins go back to 1180. It was the home of the Counts of Flanders until 1441, and afterwards, it served many purposes, like a court and a prison (and a torture house).
For tickets, click here.
Finally, we finished our trip with this amazing medieval castle. After walking for 6 hours we were very tired and it was really hot. We headed back to our hotel so we could have a rest.
Our next stop will be Kassel in Germany.
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