A day in Gent

Since it was a Monday I went to Gent for the day. From Friday to Monday the train tickets are half the price so a return ticket Brugge - Gent only costs about 6 Euro on these days.

The train station in Gent is a bit away from the centre, so it´s either a half an hour walk or you can take a tram.

Gent or Ghent is situated at the confluence of the rivers Scheldt and Lys. In the Middle Ages it was one of the richest cities of northern Europe and the many grand churches and towers in the city centre are testimony to that. The city has a really nice medieval architecture and everything seems well preserved and restored. Gent´s centre is the largest carfree area in Belgium which makes it nice for walking around and enjoying the sights. Lined up in the middle of the city you find many interesting sights.

Starting from the Sint Michielsbrug (bridge) - from where you have a nice view - the first building you see is the St Nicholas Church which has a beautiful interior with high ceilings. Next along the street is the Belfry. Entrance fee is 3 Euro. You can walk up the 200 or so steps or walk to the first level and take an elevator. From the top the view is very nice and offers great picture opportunities. After the Belfry is the St Bavo Cathedral (Sint Baaf). Original construction of this cathedral started in the year 942 and over the centuries was expanded and a Gothic style was added.

Walking north along the river you reach another sight of Gent: Het Gravensteen which was built in 1180.

I spent about 5 hours in Gent and was pleasantly surprised by its charm and architecture.

Gent must feel somehow ignored by its close and more touristic neighbours Brussels and especially Brugge but it is definitely worth a visit!

Back in my hostel in Bruges I just relaxed and tried some more local beers. First I had a Duvel. This strong beer (8,5% alc.) is one of the most popular among Belgian beers. It has a golden colour and is served with a lot of foam on top and a fruity taste.

The next beer was a Westmalle Dubbel.  It is a dark, reddish-brown Trappist beer with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The flavour is quite rich, herby and fruity with a kind of bitter finish. The Dubbel contains 7% alcohol.

My third beer (*burp* :-) ) was a Grimbergen Tripel which is 9% strong but you don´t really taste the strong alcohol content and it is very drinkable. But I guess a third beer is always quite drinkable :-)