# Ghent The Castle of the Counts, the Van Eyck altarpiece, the Graslei quays and a university city with a life of its own. A little over half an hour by train from Brussels. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/belgium/ghent · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Ghent has almost everything people go to Bruges to find, canals, guildhalls, a belfry, and it is also a real city: a university town, with trams, bicycles and bars full of people who live here. It is closer to Brussels than Bruges and receives far fewer groups. For a day trip, it is the one that disappoints least. ## How do you get there from Brussels? By train, a little over half an hour to Gent-Sint-Pieters, with very frequent trains from the three Brussels stations. From there, take a tram to the Korenmarkt or walk for 25 minutes. If you arrive via Charleroi, there is a direct Flibco bus. By car it is about 55 km on the E40, but the centre is a low-emission zone and is cut off by sectors. Register your car and park in an underground car park. For a day, the train wins. ## What to see in a day? Arrive at 10:00 and start at St Bavo's Square: the Mystic Lamb altarpiece by the Van Eycks in the cathedral and, opposite, the belfry. Walk down to the Graslei and St Michael's Bridge, the view of the three towers, and have lunch at the Korenmarkt. In the afternoon, the Castle of the Counts, the boat trip and a stroll around the Patershol and the Vrijdagmarkt. If you stay for dinner, go back to the quays when the lights come on. One important detail: the altarpiece is being restored and some of the panels can only be seen in photographs until 2027. It is still worth the visit, but go knowing that. ## Where to eat? The city's dish is waterzooi, a creamy stew of chicken or fish with vegetables. It is served at Du Progrès, on the Korenmarkt, along with Belgian beef steaks and stew with Ghent mustard; closed on Sundays and Mondays. Pakhuis, in an iron and glass warehouse next to the Korenmarkt, is the big brasserie, with oysters and seafood, Monday to Saturday. On Sunday, the Patershol and the area around the Vrijdagmarkt have more places open. ## Where to stay? Ghent is a good base for seeing Flanders: Bruges is half an hour away and Antwerp an hour. The Ghent River Hotel, in a house from 1518 and a cotton mill beside the Lys, has family rooms and river views. The Hostel Uppelink, next to St Michael's Bridge, is the budget option, with kayaks to set out on the canals. ## Ghent or Bruges? If you have just one day and have never been to Flanders, the answer depends on you. Bruges is prettier from end to end and more touristy; Bruges fills up at midday. Ghent is bigger, more varied and livelier, has a castle and the Van Eyck altarpiece, and is closer to Brussels. With two days, do both and sleep in Ghent. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Damme (a 37.5 km), Bruges (a 38.4 km), Brussels (a 50.1 km), Antwerp (a 51.2 km) ## Qué hacer - **The Castle of the Counts (Gravensteen)** (1 h 30 · All ages; many staircases and narrow wall-walks · €15 · €7.50 for ages 19 to 25 · €3 for ages 12 to 19 · free under 12): A real medieval castle in the middle of the city: a crenellated wall, keep, water moat and a room with torture instruments that children love. It was built by the counts of Flanders at the end of the twelfth century, and from the roof you can see the rooftops and towers of Ghent. Opening hours and tickets Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 16:40; closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. It costs €15, €7.50 for ages 19 to 25, €3 for ages 12 to 19 and nothing for under-12s. The audio guide is included. It is best to buy online; tickets bought that way are not refundable. In December From 4 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 the castle becomes the Winter Wonder Castle, with decorations, a winter bar and different prices: check them on Visit Gent. - **The Mystic Lamb altarpiece in St Bavo's Cathedral** (1 h · Adults and teenagers · €12.50 the altarpiece · €16 with the augmented reality visit · €8 under 12): The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, by the Van Eyck brothers, completed in 1432, is one of the key works of European painting: an altarpiece of twelve panels that opens and closes, with a precision of detail that nobody had at the time. It is in St Bavo's Cathedral, in a room in the visitor centre. The visit The altarpiece alone costs €12.50; the visit with augmented reality, which tours the cathedral and the history of the painting, €16, and €8 for under-12s. Individual tickets are bought online for groups of up to 15 people. The cathedral is open Monday to Saturday from 8:30 and on Sundays from 13:00, closing at 17:30; access to the altarpiece ends earlier, so arrive with time to spare. The restoration The upper register of the interior panels is being restored, in the last phase of a work of several years that the cathedral expects to finish in spring 2027. Meanwhile, those panels are replaced in the cathedral by high-quality photographs, and the restoration can be seen at the MSK museum in Ghent. - **Graslei, Korenlei and St Michael's Bridge** (1 h · All ages · Free): The Graslei and the Korenlei are the two quays of Ghent's old port, on either side of the river Lys, with guildhalls from the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries. From St Michael's Bridge you see at a glance the three towers of the city: St Nicholas, the belfry and the cathedral. The walk Start at St Michael's Bridge, walk down to the Graslei, cross to the Korenlei by the Grain Bridge and come back. On sunny days students sit on the edge of the quay with their feet dangling. At night, Ghent has a lighting plan that gives the quays and towers a warm light: come back after dinner. - **The Ghent belfry (Belfort)** (1 h · All ages · €13 · €6.50 students under 26 · free under 12): The middle tower of the three that make up Ghent's skyline, between the cathedral and St Nicholas' Church. It dates from the fourteenth century, guarded the city's privileges and is crowned by a golden dragon. Inside is the carillon mechanism and, at the top, the view over the old town. It is a World Heritage Site along with the other belfries of Flanders and Wallonia. Opening hours and tickets Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00, with last ticket sale at 17:00. It costs €13, €6.50 for students under 26 and nothing for under-12s. Booking online is recommended, although you can buy at the ticket office if there is capacity. - **Boat trip through medieval Ghent** (40 min · All ages · €11 adults · €10 over-60s and students · €7.50 for ages 3 to 12): Forty minutes by boat on the Lys and the Lieve, passing in front of the Graslei and the Korenlei, beneath the Castle of the Counts and through the canals of the Patershol district. It is the way to see the city from the water, which is how it was built. How it works De Bootjes van Gent runs regular departures with other passengers: the trip lasts 40 minutes and costs €11, €10 for over-60s and students and €7.50 for ages 3 to 12. The commentary is in Dutch, French or English, and on board there are illustrated translations in Spanish. Tickets are bought on their website or at the landing stage; the departure point is on their route map. - **The Patershol district and the Vrijdagmarkt square** (1 h · All ages · Free): Behind the Castle of the Counts, the Patershol is a maze of cobbled lanes and low houses from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a former artisans' district turned into Ghent's restaurant area. Five minutes away is the Vrijdagmarkt, the great market square, with the statue of Jacob van Artevelde. The walk Enter the Patershol along the Kraanlei, beside the canal, and lose yourself in the inner streets until you come out onto the Vrijdagmarkt. On Friday mornings there is a market. From there, the Groot Kanon, a medieval iron cannon painted red, is a couple of steps away beside the canal. ## Dónde comer - **Pakhuis** (Restaurant, Ghent · next to the Korenmarkt, €€€). Qué pedir: the seafood and oysters from the counter, or a Belgian dish with local produce - **Du Progrès** (Restaurant, Ghent · Korenmarkt, €€). Qué pedir: the Ghent-style chicken waterzooi or a Blanc-Bleu Belge beef steak with chips - **Amadeus Gent 1 (Patershol)** (Restaurant, Ghent · Patershol, €€). Qué pedir: the all-you-can-eat ribs and, for dessert, an Irish coffee ## By plane: Flight to Brussels or Charleroi and train to Ghent Ghent has no airport with flights from Spain: you fly to Brussels-Zaventem or to Charleroi, both with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other cities, and continue by train or bus. From Brussels, the train takes a little over half an hour; from Charleroi there is a direct bus. You do not need a car. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Ghent River Hotel** (Hotel): A hotel on the banks of the Lys, next to the Vrijdagmarkt, that joins a Renaissance house from 1518, with exposed beams, and a former sugar and cotton mill from 1857, with brick walls and large windows. It is part of the Historic Hotels Belgium collection. The rooms Seventy-eight rooms and suites of various categories, from economy to deluxe with a river view and family rooms. Breakfast is served from 6:30 to 10:00 on weekdays and from 7:00 to 11:00 at weekends. The gym is free for guests, from 8:00 to 20:00, and they store luggage before check-in and after check-out. If you come by car It has no parking: the nearest is the Parking Vrijdagmarkt, about 50 metres away. Ghent is a low-emission zone, so register your car before entering. If you arrive by train, from Gent-Sint-Pieters it is a few minutes by tram or taxi. - **Hostel Uppelink** (Hostel): A hostel in Ghent's old medieval port, right on the other side of St Michael's Bridge: from the rooms and the breakfast room you can see the three towers of the city. The building has foundations ten centuries old and the present facade dates from 1909. What it offers Wifi, sheets included, a common room, a kitchen with a fridge, showers, towel hire, washing machine and dryer, lockers and free maps. Breakfast is served from 8:00 to 10:00 for €7.50. At the bar there are Belgian beers at good prices. They rent single and double kayaks to explore the canals, from €19.50 per person, and tell you about the city's free walking tours. What it is good for It is the most central budget bed in Ghent and a good base for taking the train to Bruges, Antwerp or Brussels, less than an hour away. ### Servicios - **Gent-Sint-Pieters station and the train from Brussels**: A little over half an hour from Brussels · tram to the centre · also trains to Bruges and Antwerp ## Car-free: Ghent by train, on foot and by boat Ghent is easy without a car: the train from Brussels takes a little over half an hour, the tram drops you in the centre and everything important is ten minutes' walk away. The car, by contrast, is a problem: a low-emission zone and a centre divided into sectors. Presupuesto orientativo: 100–180 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Ghent River Hotel** (Hotel): A hotel on the banks of the Lys, next to the Vrijdagmarkt, that joins a Renaissance house from 1518, with exposed beams, and a former sugar and cotton mill from 1857, with brick walls and large windows. It is part of the Historic Hotels Belgium collection. The rooms Seventy-eight rooms and suites of various categories, from economy to deluxe with a river view and family rooms. Breakfast is served from 6:30 to 10:00 on weekdays and from 7:00 to 11:00 at weekends. The gym is free for guests, from 8:00 to 20:00, and they store luggage before check-in and after check-out. If you come by car It has no parking: the nearest is the Parking Vrijdagmarkt, about 50 metres away. Ghent is a low-emission zone, so register your car before entering. If you arrive by train, from Gent-Sint-Pieters it is a few minutes by tram or taxi. - **Hostel Uppelink** (Hostel): A hostel in Ghent's old medieval port, right on the other side of St Michael's Bridge: from the rooms and the breakfast room you can see the three towers of the city. The building has foundations ten centuries old and the present facade dates from 1909. What it offers Wifi, sheets included, a common room, a kitchen with a fridge, showers, towel hire, washing machine and dryer, lockers and free maps. Breakfast is served from 8:00 to 10:00 for €7.50. At the bar there are Belgian beers at good prices. They rent single and double kayaks to explore the canals, from €19.50 per person, and tell you about the city's free walking tours. What it is good for It is the most central budget bed in Ghent and a good base for taking the train to Bruges, Antwerp or Brussels, less than an hour away. ### Servicios - **Gent-Sint-Pieters station and the train from Brussels**: A little over half an hour from Brussels · tram to the centre · also trains to Bruges and Antwerp ## As a family: Ghent with children Ghent has something Bruges does not have for children: a real castle, with a moat, battlements and a torture room. Add the boat and the belfry, and the day comes out perfectly. Under-12s do not pay at the castle or the belfry. ### What works best The Castle of the Counts, free up to age 12 The boat trip, €7.50 for ages 3 to 12 The belfry, with the carillon mechanism The Graslei quays for running about and watching boats ### Where to sleep Family rooms at the Ghent River Hotel ### Where to eat Du Progrès, with shrimp croquettes and chips Chips and waffles around the centre ### Bear in mind The castle has staircases and narrow wall-walks: leave the pushchair outside Pakhuis and Du Progrès are closed on Sundays ### Qué hacer as a family - The Castle of the Counts (Gravensteen) - Graslei, Korenlei and St Michael's Bridge - The Ghent belfry (Belfort) - Boat trip through medieval Ghent - The Patershol district and the Vrijdagmarkt square ## With teenagers: Ghent with teenagers Ghent is a university city and it shows: there are young people everywhere, street art and atmosphere on the quays. Teenagers like it more than Bruges. ### What works best The Castle of the Counts, €3 for ages 12 to 19 The belfry, with a view over the three towers Kayaking the canals from the Hostel Uppelink The Mystic Lamb with augmented reality, for those who like art ### Where to sleep The Hostel Uppelink, with a bar and kayaks ### Where to eat The Graslei quays for a picnic Du Progrès for a steak and chips ### Bear in mind The altarpiece is a short visit: do not sell it as a whole museum ### Qué hacer with teenagers - The Castle of the Counts (Gravensteen) - The Mystic Lamb altarpiece in St Bavo's Cathedral - Graslei, Korenlei and St Michael's Bridge - The Ghent belfry (Belfort) - Boat trip through medieval Ghent ## Consejos ### The CityCard If you plan to enter the castle, the belfry and a museum or two, the CityCard Gent includes monuments and transport, and gives €10 off the Mystic Lamb. ### Check Sunday The cathedral opens at 13:00 and many restaurants close: plan your lunch. ### Come back at night The lighting of the quays and the towers is part of the visit. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take from Brussels to Ghent? A little over half an hour by train, with very frequent departures. ### What is there to see in Ghent in a day? The Mystic Lamb, the belfry, the Graslei, the Castle of the Counts and the boat trip. ### Ghent or Bruges for a day trip? Bruges is more uniform and touristy; Ghent, livelier and closer to Brussels. With two days, both. ### What do you eat in Ghent? Waterzooi, a creamy chicken stew, and Ghent mustard in the stew. ### When are the Ghent Festivities? Ten days in the second half of July, with music and theatre in the street.