Hello guys,
Today I just want to talk to you about a nice trip that I made not a long time ago, in the Belgian city of Gent, in the region called “Flanders”. Just a little point in case if you do not know anything about Belgium: Belgium is divided into two parts: the Walloon region and Flanders. Flanders is at the south of the country, and if you are a Walloon, it is quite a change of scenery, because Flanders is a wealthier region than the Walloon region, has had a past more historic or in any case less industrial than the Walloon region, and also because of the differences in language: the Flemish people speak in Dutch, while the Walloon people speak French. So, when I go there, I have had the impression of leaving my country for some vacation!
Gent is a quite important city the chief town of the East Flanders and counts more than 250 thousand inhabitants. Gent is crossed out by two streams: the Lys and the Escaut.
I am going to do two parts of this trip, the first will be about the discoveries that you can make there, and the other will be about the nice foods and drinks that you can also have there because we all know that food is life when going on a trip!
#1 "Le Château des Comtes de Flandre" or the Castle of the Counts of Flanders
This one is THE attraction to do. This castle makes part of the history of Gent and occupies a great place in the city. It is partly circled by water, and the entrance is on the street. You can have quite low prices if you are a student or just a young people (less than 10 euros). The Château des Comtes is a medieval castle, very well conserved: it is, in fact, the only one defense system so preserved. By making the visit, you can truly enter into the atmosphere of the castle and of the Middle Ages. You will visit the dungeons, some jails, but also the ballroom, the chambers,… It is just too bad to not see some of the equipment of the time, but in one room you can see an exposition of different arms used in the Middle Ages in Belgium.
There is also a torture museum in this castle, that gives you a sample of what was torture in the Middle Ages.
#2 Visit some churches and cathedrals
There is a great number of churches and cathedrals in Gent. I have personally visited three of them, but on our trip, we have seen a lot more. Some of them are really beautiful and grandiose, some others a little less, but if you like generally visiting churches you have to visit it! A friend told me about a cathedral in which the famous painting The Mystic Lamb is exposed at the entrance, and that a movie with George Clooney was produced in the Saint Bavon's Cathedral, but we do not have the time to visit it. (In fact, we have never found it).
#3 Chilling by the river
An activity that the Gent people enjoy is to chill by the water. When there is a ray of sun, you will immediately see a lot of people, eating, drinking or just talking in groups. And it is true that taking a break on the sun is very nice!
#4 Just walking
When I first come visiting a town that I have never been in, my favourite activity is to walk myself into the main streets, and then the little ones, and get the chance to lose you a little. It is a way of really discovering the ambiance of the city, to meet some locals and to discover some really nice activities or restaurants. And to observe some of the most typical houses in Gent, with their staircase roofs.
#5 A boat trip?
By the water, some little shops propose boat trips. For not so much money, you can enjoy a 40-minute tour with some explanations of the guide, who drives you on the interior canals of the city and tells you the (past and actual) history of Gent. Apparently, if you do this during Summer, you can even receive an ice-cream or a beer! It is nice when you don’t know anything about the city, for a first identification of your future walkings.
I leave you with these few ideas for a trip in Gent! For most of them, it is activities that I do, but there are also a lot of museum, like the S.M.A.K. (a contemporary and abstract art museum, very modern), or some more unusual: the museum of Doctor Guislain (a museum about the madness history in Gent), and many others! The city of Gent has a really good website on which you can find all the information you are looking for about housing, restaurants, bars, interesting activities,…