72 Hours in Ghent: Belgium’s Most Underrated City Break
If you’re planning a European city break and can’t decide between Brussels, Bruges or somewhere a little less obvious, let me make your life easier: go to Ghent.
Ghent feels like the perfect middle ground between the fairy-tale beauty of Bruges and the busy energy of Brussels. It’s packed with medieval architecture, canals, hidden bars, incredible chocolate and enough history to keep even the biggest sceptic interested.
Better still? It’s incredibly easy to reach from London.
Here’s exactly how we spent two days exploring one of Belgium’s most underrated cities.
Day 1 – London to Ghent
The trip started with an early alarm clock and a 09:01 Eurostar from London to Brussels.
Three hours later — or two if you ignore the time difference — we arrived at Brussels Zuid station.
From there, getting to Ghent was surprisingly simple.
We found the ticket machines in the station and paid around €9 for a single ticket to Ghent (or Gent, as it’s known locally).
Traveller’s Tip: Choose the Right Train
Not all trains are equal.
Some services stop at almost every station along the route, which can add a significant amount of time to your journey. If possible, look for the Intercity (IC) trains. We saved around 30 minutes simply by choosing the faster service.
That extra half hour is definitely better spent eating Belgian chocolate.
Where We Stayed in Ghent
After arriving in Ghent, we grabbed an Uber to the NH Collection Gent.
NH Collection Gent
Address: Hoogpoort 63, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Website: https://www.nh-hotels.com/en/hotel/nh-collection-gent
The location couldn’t have been better. Right in the historic centre, it placed us within walking distance of pretty much everything we wanted to see.
The hotel itself blended modern comfort with the surrounding medieval atmosphere perfectly, making it an ideal base for a short city break.
First Impressions of Ghent
One of the best things about Ghent is how walkable it is.
Within minutes of leaving the hotel, we were wandering along canals, crossing cobbled streets and stumbling upon hidden corners that looked like they belonged in a fantasy film.
Unlike some European cities that feel overcrowded with tourists, Ghent still feels authentic.
It has atmosphere without trying too hard.
Dinner at Mosquito Coast
While exploring the city centre, we stumbled across one of the coolest places we visited during the entire trip.
Mosquito Coast
Address: Hoogpoort 28, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Website: https://www.mosquitocoast.be
Mosquito Coast turned out to be a really nice place to eat and relax after travelling, while also feeling completely different from anywhere else we visited in Ghent. Part travel bar, part restaurant and part curiosity museum, it instantly stood out the moment we walked in.
The entire place is themed around world travel, with old photographs, travel books, souvenirs and eclectic decor covering every inch of the interior. It feels like the kind of place Anthony Bourdain would have loved.
The menu mixes Belgian classics with international dishes, and the cocktails alone are worth visiting for.
If you’re staying anywhere near the city centre, this place is an easy recommendation.
Traveller’s Tip: Belgium Isn’t Cheap
Belgium is slightly more expensive than many travellers expect, especially if you’re visiting from the UK.
Food, drinks and attractions can add up quickly, so it’s worth checking the exchange rate before travelling and setting a realistic budget.
That said, Ghent still feels far better value than many major European capitals.
Day 2 – Boat Tours, Medieval Castles and Belgian Chocolate
Exploring Ghent by Boat
The next morning, we headed down towards the Leie River for one of the best things you can do in Ghent: a canal boat tour.
The tours last around 45 minutes and give you a completely different perspective of the city.
You get to see hidden alleyways, old trading buildings, medieval facades and parts of Ghent you’d probably miss entirely on foot.
We booked with:
De Bootjes van Gent – Rederij Dewaele
Website: https://visit.gent.be/en/de-bootjes-van-gent
Our guide, Kobi, absolutely made the experience.
He managed to balance humour, history and local knowledge perfectly while switching effortlessly between multiple languages throughout the tour.
It never felt like one of those dry, scripted sightseeing experiences.
Instead, it felt like being shown around by someone who genuinely loved the city.
The Fascinating History Hidden Along Ghent’s Canals
One of the reasons the boat tour works so well is because Ghent’s history is literally built around the water.
As we cruised through the canals, we passed some of the city’s most famous landmarks.
St Michael’s Bridge
Possibly the best viewpoint in the entire city.
From the bridge, you get an incredible panoramic view of Ghent’s famous medieval skyline, including St Nicholas’ Church, Saint Bavo’s Cathedral and the Belfry.
It’s one of those places where you stop walking and just stare.
St Nicholas’ Church
Built in the Scheldt Gothic style, St Nicholas’ Church dates back to the 13th century and became one of the most important religious buildings in medieval Ghent.
Its distinctive blue-grey stone tower dominates the skyline and serves as a reminder of just how wealthy Ghent once was during the Middle Ages.
The Old Industrial Buildings
Ghent wasn’t just a medieval city.
It also became one of continental Europe’s earliest industrial centres.
Many of the warehouses and riverside buildings along the canals were once tied to the textile industry that helped make Ghent incredibly wealthy.
Today, many of those old industrial spaces have been transformed into bars, apartments, restaurants and creative spaces.
Gravensteen – The Castle of the Counts
Nothing grabs your attention quite like Gravensteen.
Rising dramatically above the canals, the medieval fortress looks exactly how a castle should look.
Turrets, stone walls, towers and all.
Built in 1180 by Philip of Alsace, Count of Flanders, the castle served as both a defensive fortress and a symbol of power.
Over the centuries, it has been used as a court, prison, mint and even a cotton factory before eventually being restored in the late 19th century.
Interestingly, the English word “sabotage” is believed to originate from the French word “sabot”, referring to the wooden shoes worn by workers. According to popular legend, workers threw their wooden clogs into machinery during protests and strikes, damaging the equipment.
Whether entirely true or slightly romanticised over time, it certainly made for a memorable story during the tour.
Visiting the Castle of the Counts
After the boat tour, we headed straight for Gravensteen itself.
Gravensteen – Castle of the Counts
Website: https://visit.gent.be/en/gravensteen
This was easily one of the highlights of the trip.
Unlike many castles that feel heavily restored or overly polished, Gravensteen still feels raw and imposing.
Walking through the stone corridors, climbing the narrow staircases and standing on the battlements genuinely transports you back to medieval Europe.
The views from the top are incredible too, giving you one of the best perspectives across Ghent’s rooftops and canals.
Belgian Hot Chocolate Done Properly
After all that walking, there was only one logical next step.
Hot chocolate.
Not the powdered kind.
The proper Belgian kind.
In Choc Ghent
Address: Mageleinstraat 55, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Website: https://www.inchoc.be
This place takes hot chocolate seriously.
Rich, smooth and made using actual Belgian chocolate rather than syrup or powder, it was easily one of the best hot chocolates I’ve ever had.
If you visit Ghent and skip Belgian chocolate, you’re doing the city wrong.
The Most Unique Shop in Ghent: Books and Booze
Later that afternoon, we discovered what might genuinely be my favourite independent shop anywhere.
Bookz & Booze
Address: Burgstraat 125, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Website: https://bookzandbooze.com
At first glance, it looks like a quirky bookshop.
Then you realise every section is paired with alcohol.
Science-fiction books paired with whisky.
Adventure novels matched with rum.
Crime fiction sitting beside gin.
One of the best examples was seeing Samantha Harvey’s In Orbit displayed alongside bottles of Starward Australian whisky — exactly the sort of quirky pairing that makes the shop memorable.
It sounds gimmicky, but somehow it works brilliantly.
The shop feels personal, creative and completely unlike anywhere else.
What made it even better was discovering that owner Ief Stuyvaert also creates small-batch spirits under the Dada Chapel label. The distillery itself is only a short walk from the shop and has built a reputation in Ghent for producing creative, small-batch spirits with a strong focus on storytelling, literature and local craftsmanship.
The standout for me was the “Readers High” whisky.
Despite sitting at 45%, it was remarkably smooth and lacked the heavy peaty flavour often associated with traditional Scotch whisky.
It felt like the perfect souvenir from a city that constantly surprises you.
Day 3 – St Bavo’s Cathedral and the Real Story Behind The Monuments Men
By day three, Ghent had already exceeded expectations, but there was still one place left that I absolutely wanted to visit: St Bavo’s Cathedral.
And honestly, even if you only have a short time in the city, this place deserves to be at the very top of your list.
Walking Through Ghent’s Living History
One of the things that surprised me most about Ghent was how quickly the city changes from street to street.
The walk from the NH Collection Gent to St Bavo’s Cathedral is only a few minutes, but architecturally it feels like travelling through several different periods of European history at once.
You move from narrow medieval alleyways and stepped-gable guild houses to elegant Gothic facades, hidden courtyards and more modern shopfronts that somehow never feel out of place.
What makes Ghent special is that none of it feels artificial or over-restored.
The city still feels lived in.
Cyclists weave past centuries-old churches, locals drink coffee beside buildings older than most countries, and canals reflect rows of architecture that tell the story of Ghent’s rise from wealthy medieval trading hub to industrial powerhouse.
Around almost every corner there’s another detail worth noticing — ornate stone carvings, wrought iron balconies, tiny passageways or towering church spires suddenly appearing between rooftops.
The closer you get to St Bavo’s Cathedral, the more dramatic the skyline becomes.
The cathedral rises above the surrounding streets almost unexpectedly, dominating the square with its enormous Gothic tower and instantly reminding you just how important Ghent once was during medieval Europe’s golden age.
St Bavo’s Cathedral
Website: https://visit.gent.be/en/see-do/saint-bavos-cathedral
Address: Sint-Baafsplein, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
From the outside, the cathedral is impressive enough, towering over the square with its mix of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architecture. But the real reason most people visit lies inside.
The cathedral is home to one of the most important and mysterious works of art in European history: The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, more commonly known as the Ghent Altarpiece.
Created in 1432 by brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck, the altarpiece is considered one of the greatest masterpieces ever painted and was revolutionary for its detail, realism and use of light.
Seeing it in person is one of those moments where you suddenly understand why people travel across the world for art.
But what makes the piece even more fascinating is its unbelievable history.
Over the centuries, the Ghent Altarpiece has been stolen, dismantled, hidden, looted by Napoleon, seized by the Nazis during World War II and recovered multiple times. Its wartime story became one of the inspirations behind the film The Monuments Men, which follows the Allied effort to recover priceless artworks stolen by the Nazis.
Hitler reportedly intended for the altarpiece to become part of a huge museum he planned to build after the war, and it was eventually discovered hidden deep inside the Altaussee salt mines in Austria alongside thousands of other stolen artworks.
Even beyond the famous altarpiece, the cathedral itself feels peaceful and atmospheric, especially compared to some of Europe’s busier tourist sites.
It was the perfect final stop before leaving Ghent — a reminder that this city isn’t just beautiful on the surface, but packed with stories, history and unexpected moments around every corner.
Final Thoughts: Is Ghent Worth Visiting?
Absolutely.
Ghent somehow manages to combine medieval history, canal-city beauty, incredible food, nightlife and culture without feeling overly touristy.
It’s compact enough to explore in a weekend but packed with enough history and atmosphere to keep you discovering new things around every corner.
For me, it felt like one of Europe’s most underrated city breaks.
And honestly?
I’d return tomorrow.
