Gent - I keep on coming back
Gent is to me one of the best cities in Belgium and therefore I keep on coming back. Ghent (in Dutch: Gent) is the fourth largest city of Belgium with about 250.000 inhabitants. It is not as big as Antwerp but bigger than Bruges. It is also less famous among tourists than the often praised Bruges.
However, for me Ghent is the real diamond of Flanders and Belgium. In a unique way, Ghent has managed to preserve its medieval power while keeping up with the times. The city centre alone is a showcase of medieval Flemish wealth and commercial success. Modern Ghent certainly cannot be overlooked in Belgium. The city has an important harbour, thanks to the canal Ghent-Terneuzen which allows sea-going vessels to bring their products to the city and its industrial hinterland.
Ghent is also the flower city of Belgium. Flower growers from the region around Ghent sell their beautiful begonia's and azalea's all over the world. Every 5 years the successful 'Gentse Floraliën" (Ghent Flower Show) attracts thousands to the city. As a tourist you will not have eyes enough to admire the awesome architectural wealth, which offers a splendid combination of impressiveness and idyllic charm of the proud and (in former times) often rebellious city of Ghent.
The people of Ghent proudly wear the nickname 'Stropke', which is actually the round part of the rope through which a convict has to stick his head before being hanged.
In 1537 Ghent had refused to pay more taxes for a new war of Charles V against the king of France. To deal with his rebellious birth-city for once and for all, Charles V had the city walls destroyed. He also abolished most of the city's privileges and ordered the most important citizens to appear before him to ask for mercy while carrying a rope around their necks, as a sign that they were ready to be hanged if the Emperor would order it.
The punishment was not new.
At the onset of this ceremony, Duke Philip marched the leaders of the city and its guilds outside the city walls, stripped them to their undergarments, had them kneel in the mud wearing nooses around their necks, and pledge to him eternal allegiance. After this, they led him through Ghent's streets, decorated with banners and torches and dramatized mythological and biblical scenes, including a live-action version of the Van Eycks' Ghent Altarpiece as the centrepiece.
Inside you will experience the atmosphere of an old pub like one finds but seldom nowadays. With nice music in the background - from jazz to blues and the latest releases - you will encounter the most varied crowd from all over the world.
When I was looking at was what thought was a very thick menu card, I found out that it was mainly a beer card (!) In this place you can discover the amazingly rich Belgian beer culture. The place has a wide selection of the best high fermentation Belgian beers, and they are served at the ideal temperature on draught or in bottles.
In their beer menu I loved the text that followed the very strong beers; Watch out! These beers are very strong. So, before you start drinking, write down the name of your hotel and the room number. If not, you might wake up in a very unknown place...
The Waterhuis aan de Bierkant is open every day from 11 am to... the hour at which decent people goes to sleep!
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Archeological excavations have proved that three fortified castles constructed in wood must have stood on the site of today's Gravensteen. Already around the year 1000 the first stone castle must have been erected here. Parts of this, such as the chimney and the fireplace, can still be found in the walls of the lower floors of the main tower.
The Gravensteen, like we know it today, has been constructed by Fillips of Alsasse who was count of Flanders between 1157 and 1191. He took part in one of the crusades and died during the siege of Akko in the Holy Land. The opening in the form of a cross, right above the main entrance gate, proves that he already had taken part in a crusade when the Castle was built around 1177-1178. The Gravensteen functioned as the centre of the Count's power during the early Middle-Ages. This is somewhat symbolized by the main keep or 'donjon' (tower) from where one can have a panoramic view over the city.
Next to the castle lies the Veerleplein (Veerle square), which where the place public executions took place. The Gravensteen has been used in later times for different purposes. After the counts moved to more comfortable mansions in the later centuries, it was used as the Mint and later as the main prison of Gent. In the nineteenth century a cotton plant was installed here. In the inner court little houses were built for the textile workers of the plant.
Today, the Gravensteen has been beautifully restored. It is still partially surrounded by the medieval moat. It can be visited all through the year. Inside one of the rooms is a museum about the history of prison life and organization, with a very instructive (!) collection of medieval torture instruments.
Tickets:
adults: 6.00 euro
groups (+ 15 pers.): 3.00 euro
senior citizens (+ 55 years): 1.20 euro
youths (-25 years): 1.20 euro
schools: 1.20 euro
children (up to 12 years): free
inhabitants of Ghent: free
