Where to stay in Ghent — pick the right hotel, book in 3 clicks

Local dishes to try in Ghent

1. 1🍲

   Gentse Waterzooi

   A creamy stew that originated in Ghent, made with julienned vegetables, egg and cream. Once made with river fish, it's now usually prepared with chicken — comforting, gently rich and perfect in cool weather.

   📍 The city's signature stew
2. 2🥩

   Stoverij (Stoofvlees)

   Beef braised in dark beer until meltingly tender, in a thick, faintly sweet sauce. Ghent's version stands out thanks to spicy local Tierenteyn mustard, and it almost always comes with hot fries.

   📍 Beer-braised beef stew
3. 3🍟

   Belgian Fries (Frietkot)

   Double-fried, crisp-outside fries from a street-side frituur, served in a paper cone with a dizzying choice of sauces. Belgians take this seriously — it's a meal in itself, not a side.

   📍 Double-fried, done right
4. 4👃

   Cuberdons (Neuzekes)

   Purple, cone-shaped raspberry sweets with a hard shell and a soft, gooey centre. Locals call them 'neuzekes' (little noses); they date to 1873 and are sold from stalls on the Groentenmarkt.

   📍 Cone-shaped sweets
5. 5🌭

   Tierenteyn Mustard

   Artisan mustard made to a recipe dating from 1790, sharp and tangy from dark mustard seeds and never more than three days old. Sold only from its original shop on the Groentenmarkt — a true Ghent souvenir.

   📍 Mustard shop since 1790
6. 6🍺

   Gruut & local beers

   Gruut Stadsbrouwerij is the city's only brewery, using a pre-hops herb mix to an ancient recipe; the tasting tour runs about an hour. For sheer choice, hit Dulle Griet — Ghent is tied to over 60 different beers.

   📍 City brewery

1. 1🏰

   Gravensteen Castle

   A stone castle in the city centre, built in the 12th century by Count Philip of Alsace. Climb the ramparts for city views, with a famously funny audio guide voiced by a Flemish comedian, plus an armoury and a torture chamber.

   📍 Medieval fortress
2. 2🖼️

   St Bavo's Cathedral & the Ghent Altarpiece

   See the Van Eyck brothers' Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (1432) in person, with an AR guide telling the story of its restoration and the panel that was famously stolen. One of the most significant paintings in Western art.

   📍 UNESCO-era masterpiece
3. 3🔔

   The Belfry (Belfort)

   A roughly 91-metre belfry symbolising the city's civic freedom. Take the lift up for a 360-degree view over the old town's rooftops. One of Ghent's 'three towers' alongside St Bavo's and St Nicholas'.

   📍 UNESCO World Heritage
4. 4🚤

   Leie canal cruise from Graslei

   Board at the Graslei or Korenlei quays to glide past guild houses, the castle and old bridges from angles you can't reach on foot — the best way to grasp how the city grew up around its river.

   📍 See the city by water
5. 5🎨

   Werregarenstraat (Graffiti Street)

   A narrow alley near Korenmarkt where graffiti is officially legal. The artwork changes daily as artists from around the world leave their mark — a free, ever-changing photo spot unlike anywhere else.

   📍 Open-air street art
6. 6🏛️

   STAM City Museum

   Set in a former abbey, STAM tells Ghent's story from the Middle Ages to today through interactive exhibits. The highlight is a giant walk-on aerial map of the city you can explore underfoot.

   📍 History of Ghent
7. 7🛍️

   Vrijdagmarkt

   One of Ghent's oldest squares, home to a Friday-morning market of produce and antiques. The square is ringed with cafés and storied beer bars including the legendary Dulle Griet.

   📍 Historic market square
8. 8🌉

   St Michael's Bridge & Korenmarkt

   St Michael's Bridge frames Ghent's three medieval towers in a single shot, while neighbouring Korenmarkt is the buzzing central square ringed by cafés and gabled houses dating to the Middle Ages.

   📍 Classic viewpoint