Ghent

Hiking
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Explore walks & hikes in Ghent

Get Outdoors

Lace up those hiking boots and get out on the trail! We’ve organized the top nature walks and hikes in Ghent for all the outdoor lovers looking to go the limits. There are plenty of routes you can choose from - all offering you stunning views that make each step even more worth it. Explore all the treks footsteps icon

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Meet Ghent

Why go to Ghent?

Ghent is truly Belgium’s hidden gem. It’s getting more touristy and well-known to outsiders but if you have the chance definitely go explore this charming medieval city. Ghent is the capital of East Flanders. It’s a thriving city with artsy vibes combined with historic sights as far as you can see. 15th century buildings sit side by side with contemporary art galleries. If you’ve ever seen a photo of Ghent, you’ve probably seen Gravensteen (aka The Castle of the Counts) and Ghent’s pretty canals.

Thanks to Ghent’s central location in the Flanders region, it’s a convenient city to visit if you happen to be in Bruges or Antwerp.

What you need to know about Ghent

Market & Vintage Shops

Coming to Ghent for a shopping trip? Ghent is an alternative choice and is known for its markets and vintage shops. Come by on a Friday or the weekend to see the local flea market. There are some super specific markets too, like the Kouter flower market and Book market on Sunday mornings. Don’t miss the Biomarkt on Friday mornings to see all the fresh fruit and veggies from local and sustainable farms of East Flanders.

Stunning buildings

Ghent has plenty of cute sights to see in the city. A day of urban exploration of Ghent will take you to medieval times and back in its architecture. Like Bruges, Ghent is known for its canals. Walking around the canals or taking a trip by boat is one of the best ways to see some of Ghent’s stunning architecture.

Don’t miss the Saint Bavo Cathedral in the main square. It's 89m high and one of the symbols of the city. Just a short stroll away is one of the big symbols of Ghent, the beautiful Gravesteen castle, that was once home to a bunch of Counts.

Ghent has style

Looking for arts and culture experiences in Belgium? Look no further than Ghent. Ghent is a city that has styles from medieval art in museums to graffiti art on Werregarenstraat. Wander the city centre around Vrijdagmarkt for local fashion boutiques to see unique pieces. Art lovers are spoiled for choice.

Museums and history

Ghent has been around for ages, seriously they found stuff from the Iron Age out here. A great city to explore for history buffs, Ghent has tons of museums to choose from. One historic thing every tourist to Ghent sees at least once is the Ghent Altarpiece in St Bavo's Cathedral. Ghent has some unexpected surprises too in its museums. There’s even a museum inside Belgium’s first mental asylum, now dedicated to supporting mental health. You never know what gems of history you’ll find.

When to go

You can visit Ghent in any season and have a good time, but the city really lights up in July during the festival Gentse Feesten. Ghent gets busiest in the summer, during the height of the tourist season.

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Best weather: Apr, Jun – Sep, Oct
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Tourist season: Jul – Aug
Dates for Your Calender
Jan - Light Festival Ghent
Jul - Gentse Feesten, Gent Jazz
Sep - September Heritage Day
Oct - Film Fest Gent
Dec - Christmas market

Transport

Getting There

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By Car

You can easily get to Ghent by car from two major highways (E40 & E17). Brussels is around 45 minutes away by car, but traffic can make that much longer if you’re driving at a busy time.

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By Plane

Fly into Brussels National Airport. From there, it’s a 1 hour train ride to Ghent.

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By Train

Gent-Sint-Pieters station is the nearest train station. You’ll have no trouble getting a train to Ghent - it’s the 4th busiest station in Belgium. You can catch a train from the major cities of Belgium to Ghent (including from Bruges, Brussels, Ostend, Leuven, Liege, Antwerp and more). The fastest trains are IC.

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By Coach

Eurolines offer regular bus trips into Ghent from Amsterdam, Brussels, and London. It’s probably the cheapest way to get into Ghent, but the trip will take a bit longer!

Getting Around

On Foot

Ghent’s city centre is easy enough to get around on foot as the city isn’t that big. You can also get the tram or bus to help you get around quickly. Gent-Sint-Pieters station is a 30 minute walk away from the city centre. You can also catch a bus or tram from the station into town.

By Car

Long story short, Ghent is divided into 6 sections for drivers and getting around from one section to another can be annoying if you’re not used to the area thanks to the red lined bike roads, one way streets, and forbidden entries. Getting around in Ghent by car can be done, but we don’t recommend it for tourists. Best to park your car and go around by foot, bike or public transport to save yourself the trouble.

By Bike

Ghent is cyclist friendly. Keep your eyes peeled for cobbled streets and trams and you’ll be fine. You can rent a bike

By Public Transport

New to Ghent? When you arrive at the train station, pick up the free map of Ghent with all the public transport info to help you get around or see De Lijn’s website for live bus info. Ticket prices vary (around 1.60 at ticket machines, more when you’re on the bus), so it’s best to buy tickets in advance.

Essentials

Language: Flemish (Dutch)
Emergency numbers: Police (urgent): 101 Fire, ambulance, police: 112

Tourism Office

Visit Gent

Website: https://visit.gent.be/en

Address: Sint-Veerleplein 5, 9000 Gent, Belgium

Telephone: +32 9 266 56 60

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