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Gent is hands down our favorite city of all time! It’s known as the sister city of Bruges, though offers a less touristy, traditional Belgian vibe. Visiting Gent, we had no idea what to expect, but fell in love more and more with the city every corner we turned! We’re so stoked to be sharing this beautiful city with you!
We’re sharing the best places to get local dishes, where to interact with locals in Gent, and some of our favorite buildings in the city. We’ve got a feeling these 20 things to do in Gent will make you fall in love with the city too!
Where To Eat In Ghent,Belgium
Eat The Local Cuisine At Balls And Glory
- Find it Here
When we were walking through the canals of Gent, we stumbled upon the restaurant, Balls and Glory, and just had to go in and eat. They make hand-rolled meatballs served with either a salad or stoemp (mashed potatoes and veggies), and can be paired with a Belgian beer or homemade lemonade! The meatballs aren’t your ordinary meatballs, but are stuffed with deliciousness, and even come breaded too! Don’t miss this place!
Indulge in Belgian Chocolate In Front Of Gravensteen Castle
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The chocolate shop, In Choc Daskalides, makes Belgian Chocolate right in the heart of Ghent. It’s right across the street from Gravensteen Castle, and has a couple of outdoor seats perfect for people watching!
Get A Belgian Waffle
You can’t go to Belgium without eating a Belgian Waffle. We recommend grabbing one from a place that smells the best! Wandering through the streets, you’ll begin to smell something sweet, access your inner hound dog, and follow your nose to deliciousness!
Enjoy The Small City European Vibe
The nice thing about Ghent is it’s technically a college town. Don’t let that scare you away though, it’s a good thing! Being a college town means prices are affordable for the average college kid. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a meal outdoors and get that traditional European vibe!
Eat At Holy Food Market
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The Holy Food Market is about a ten-minute walk away from the Gravensteen Castle, so while it’s not exactly central, it’s not far away either. This place is the perfect space to try real, traditional Belgian food without breaking the budget!
Traveler’s Tip… If you’re traveling with someone, get two different dishes and share them both! We ate a huge thing of Belgian mussels and croquettes (deep fried mashed potatoes), and both were sooo good!
It Wouldn’t Be Belgium Without The Beer
You can’t leave Belgium without having a beer. And honestly, maybe you should have more than one ;). Even if you don’t like beer, you’ve got to try Belgian beer! I (Heather) never liked beer until I visited Belgium. Buy a beer at a market or small grocery store and enjoy it along the canal!
Traveler’s Tip… If you can’t decide on a beer to get, just ask a local in the store! They’ll help you decide which style would be best for you! The Trappist beers are brewed by actual monks at Abbey’s throughout Belgium!
Free Things To Do In Gent (Ghent)
Wander The Neighborhood Behind The Castle In Gent
When we stumbled upon this neighborhood, we came in the back way and had no idea it actually bumped up against Gravensteen Castle. Zigzagging through the buildings, you’d never know this is one of the “touristy” places of the city. Without loads of people and the lack of souvenir shops on every corner, you’ll be lost in the quaintness of this neighborhood for quite some time!
Go On A Search For The Graffiti Of Gent
All throughout the city of Gent, there’s really intricate graffiti-some covering entire walls! Walk around and find some of the artwork, it really takes graffiti to a whole new level.
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Marvel At The Mix Of Buildings Around You
There’s a mix of Gothic Style buildings with traditional staircase like tops to buildings too, and even metal framework around windows and doors. This mixture makes up the common style of buildings throughout Belgium!
Shoot Some Night Photography
Shooting night photography really makes you see and understand a city in a whole new light. It causes you to slow down and be patient with each image captured, making you really take in Gent in a whole new way!
Even if you’re not into photography, we can’t emphasize enough how different a city seems when you walk around at night! Give it a try, see the same buildings you saw during the day all lit up!
Experience The Romance Of Gent
If you haven’t caught on by now, visiting Gent is all about taking life slow and easy. There’s a romance in the air that we really haven’t found elsewhere. It’s a calm city with so much charm, one to definitely find love in!
Walk Along The Canals
We’re big on doing all the free things, and are rarely keen on taking tours, so we always try and find ways to make typical city tours free. Walking along the canals is an easy way to save on the canal boat tour, but still get to see the quaintness of the city via canal!
Stroll Down Graffiti Street | Werregarentraat
Find it Here
While this street doesn’t offer as much of the large and intricate details of the other graffiti throughout Gent, it’s still quite the site to see. The entire walking street is covered from top to bottom with layers upon layers of graffiti.
Walk Across Sint-Michielsbrug Bridge
Find it Here
This bridge is home to our favorite viewpoints in Ghent. No matter what direction you look, there’s something to see! Just watch out for the cars and bikes crossing the bridge too!
People Watch In The Canal Center
Call us creepy if you wish, but people watching is one of our favorite things to do! Find a seat along the canals and watch the younger crowd beatbox, watch the tourists try and get those picture perfect shots, and just enjoy the happy mood of those around you!
Get Lost In The Postcard Perfect Side Streets Of Gent
There’s something to be said about cobblestone streets, old bike, and gorgeous flowers. This seemed to be the theme throughout the side streets in the city of Gent. Getting lost in the streets of Gent is our idea of the perfect day!
Visit Saint Nicholas’ Church
One of the oldest buildings in Gent, Saint Nicholas’ Church can be seen from all around the city. It’s massive and the architecture really stands out in the buildings around it!
Paid For Experiences In Gent, Belgium
Take A Boat Tour Through The Canals
There are a couple different ways to ride a boat through the canals of Gent. There are different tour companies scattered throughout the city offering loads of different tours and private hires along the canals too. Check prices and what’s included/time and duration of tours before choosing the canal tour for you!
Visit Gravensteen Castle
- Find it Here
Gravensteen Castle is probably one of the most well-known things about Gent. It sits along the water, and is picture perfect! Click here to see current pricing and opening times.
Traveler’s Tip… If you want to save money, just visit the outside of the castle. We even found a park behind the castle to take a midday nap in, perfect way to relax and save money.
Listen To Local Artists In The City Pavilion
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Just outside of Saint Nicholas’ Church there’s an outdoor music hall where artists gather at night and play for those passing by. Stop in the dome and listen to the music as it bounces off the overhang above!
Traveler’s Tip… Remember these artists are playing there for free.. a.k.a. for tips.. if you have a little something to give them, drop it in their hat, they’d really appreciate it we’re sure!
Getting Around Gent
Gent is actually a fairly small town so we recommend getting around by foot. As with most of Belgium, Gent is pretty flat, so walking comes easy! This is the best way to explore all the small alleyways and take in the romance of the city.
There’s a small public transportation system in the city, to get you to some of the “bigger” areas of shopping (near the castle), and loads of people just ride their bikes into the main area and park them, then walk around Gent on foot. This is what we did and it worked out great! Super safe to leave your bike, and much less stressful than driving into town and trying to find parking!
Where To Park And Stay In Gent (Ghent) Belgium
If you’re on a road trip in Europe and plan on stopping in Gent, we recommend parking outside the city and riding a bike into the main part, or taking public transportation into the main part of the Gent. Parking is limited, you have to pay for it, and streets are small, so it’s definitely the better bet!
There’s a large parking lot just outside of Gent along a canal that’s free and allows overnight parking too! It’s the perfect place to wild camp in Gent! Just look on the map for the Camping Blaarmeersen, and you’ll see a huge parking area along the Watersportbaan (the water)!
Traveler’s Tip… If you’re not up for Wild Camping, then check out Camping Blaarmeersen for a place to stay! And if nothing else, you can at least use their facilities while you’re in the area!
More On Belgium and Travel
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Trust us when we say, you’ve got to read this post next! These travel apps will help you out when visiting Gent, on one of them, you can even pin, or mark the places we recommend visiting before your trip! They’re great!
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