It can be no coincidence that Ghent, the capital of East Flanders, was given several pretty names: historic heart of Flanders, a city of all times, one of the most beautiful historic cities in Europe. The city combines an impressive past with a vivid present. Numerous tourists visit Ghent of which the citizens carry the nickname "stroppendragers" or noose-bearers. For information on hotels and youth-hostels, click here. For information on Bed&Breakfast accommodation, click here.

To Do

It is worth staying a few days longer to visit Ghent. The historic heart of the city offers a lot of places of interest. From St Michael's bridge there is a wonderful view on the skyline of Ghent with the three impressive towers of St Nicholas' Church, the Belfry with its bell tower and St Bavo's cathedral with the world famous painting "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" by Jan van Eyck.

Traces of the Middle Ages were preserved at a lot of places. The old port with its guild halls on the Graslei and Korenlei is merely one example of the beautiful views this town has to offer. Not far from the Graslei arises the Castle of the Counts, once the medieval fortress of the Count of Flanders. Nowadays it is a major tourist attraction. In Ghent, everyone can find something to suit his taste. Ghent is not only known for its museums, abbeys, beguinages, dozens of churches and historical buildings, the city also offers a lot of shops, restaurants and an exciting nightlife. Since 1997, Ghent has chosen to make the city centre a low-traffic zone, rendering the historical centre even more attractive for residents, visitors and shoppers.

City map

Language

The official language in Ghent is Dutch, but most people also speak French, English and/or German.

Currency

The Belgian currency unit is the euro. There are exchange offices and banks in the city centre. Credit cards are accepted in most places. All prices in Belgium include VAT and service.

Tourist information

More information on miscellaneous subjects, such as:

• Tourism East Flanders
• Emergency services
• Post offices
• Sports and recreation
• Markets
• Theatres, opera, concert halls and cinemas
• Car hire and bicycle hire
• Railways
• Bus map
• Church services

Ghent has a very intensive network of trams and busses. Single tickets and 1, 3 or 5 day cards can be bought at the busses and trams, but they are a lot cheaper when bought in advance at different presale points.

Climate

Unstable (and wet) weather. It can be both hot (± 30° C) or cool (± 11° C) during summertime. In the wintertime temperatures vary between ± 10° C and ± 0° C. To find out which weather you can expect, check out this website.

Travelling cheap

If you are a backpacker, exchange student, day-tripper or student from anywhere in the world, if you don't have a lot of cash, but definitely do have a lot of curiosity and happen to be in and around Ghent for any length of time, then Use-it is the tourist information service for you.

For more information: www.visitgent.be