Ghent (in Dutch: Gent) is the fourth largest city of Belgium and is considered the real diamond of Flanders. In a unique way, the city has managed to preserve its medieval power while keeping up with the times and establishing a nice blend between comfort of living and history. Much of the city's architecture remains intact and is remarkably well preserved and restored. Its center is the largest car free area in Belgium. Ghent houses numerous churches, among which the Saint-Jacobs church and the Saint-Nicolas Church are the most beautiful examples. Interesting highlights are the St. Bavo Cathedral with the Ghent Altarpiece, the Belfry Tower, the Gravensteen and the awesome architecture along the old Graslei harbour. The city offers to visitors a splendid combination of impressiveness and idyllic charm of the proud and (in former times) often rebellious city of Ghent.

One of the most impressive cathedral in the country. It was named after St Bavo, a 7th century local nobleman who became a saint after he had given away his possessions to the poor and entered the monastery. The cathedral with its mighty uprising tower is perhaps the most visible sign of the pride of the citizens of Ghent.

Behind the Saint Bavo Cathedral one can see the 'Geeraard de Duivel Steen', or the castle of Gerald the Devil. This little castle was one of the first houses to be build in stone. According to a long-living legend, a man lived here who was called Gerald. He was nicknamed 'the devil' because he married five times. Each time, however, he killed his wife to marry another one. Hence, the devil !. It is now used by the city administration of Ghent for storage of the archives.

The Gravensteen is the Dutch name for the 'castle of the count'. The counts of Flanders had castles built in the principal cities of the county. Because they had to maintain law and order, they continuously had to move from one city to the other. Therefore, they disposed of a castle in most cities where they wanted to stay for a few months. The castle of Ghent is the only one which survived the centuries more or less intact.

Right in the heart of Ghent stands the Saint Nicholas church, one of the oldest churches of the city. An older version stood here until the 12th century until it burned down in 1120 and 1176. Because of their growing wealth the citizens of Ghent were able to construct a new and much bigger church. The present-day version was finished between 1220 and 1250.

The Belfry tower of Ghent is perhaps one of the most impressive ones in Flanders. It dominates, together with the St-Nicholas tower and the cathedral tower the medieval centre of the city. The architects were Jan van Aelst and Filips van Beergine. The tower was completed in 1338, when the bells were rung for the English king Edward II.

The town hall is situated on the site where until 1482 the town representatives and guild's men met in separate houses. Because these houses were judged too small and too unrepresentative for such important people, it was decided that a new and bigger town hall had to be built. The first stone of this new hall was laid in 1482. The building was finished in 1484. Very soon, however, also this new hall was considered too small and from 1518 until 1535 a new and much bigger town hall was constructed in late-gothic style.

When visiting Ghent, one should always go to this beautiful area of the city: the Graslei and the Koornlei. These are the names of two streets which lie along the banks of the old harbour of Ghent, right in the middle of the city. Graslei means 'street of the herbs and vegetables'. Koornlei stands for 'street of the wheat'. Both names indicate that these specific products where traded or stocked in that area.

It is called the 'Friday Market' (or Vrijdagmarkt in Dutch) for the simple reason that on Fridays a market takes place here. The market has been witness to numerous celebrations as well as battles. Everything that happened here was related to the activities of the corporations of which the weavers and the traders were the most powerful. During the Middle-Ages the fate of Ghent largely depended on the wool trade and industry. When the wool industry flourished, so did the rest of the city.

This beautiful building with its baroque facade from 1689 stands near to the old Gravensteen on the Saint Veerle square. On top of the facade thrones a statue of Neptune, king of the seas. The other two statues represent the two rivers that flow through Ghent, the Scheldt river and the Leie river.

Near the Gravensteen stands the impressive meat hall, built between 1407 and 1419. The gothic building with its large stepgable facade was used in the 15th and 16th centuries as the central hall where the butchers of Ghent could sell their meat.

Near the Gravensteen lies the 'Patershol'. This network of little medieval streets stretches out over a surface of about 4,5 ha. In the Middle-Ages the Patershol was the town-quarter of the trades and handicrafts. In the 17th and 18th century the law court was placed in the Gravensteen ('Count's castle') and therefore magistrates settled in the houses of the Patershol. In the 19th Century the Count's castle was turned into a cotton factory. The magistrates left and their houses were taken over by the textile workers. When the industry left the centre of Gent, the Patershol became the quarter of the lower classes, inns and brothels. After the Second World War the entire 'patershol' was renovated (old houses were demolished, new ones were built). Especially since 1980, the Patershol is famous for its many trendy restaurants.