Why you should go to Ghent this summer: a dragon, a lamb and lots of bikes

• LOUIS BLASCO

  luisblascoalis

  Belgium

Updated Friday, June 10, 2022-00:51

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It's barely 7:30 in the morning.

A wedding couple, he in a suit, she in white, takes photos on the

, in Ghent.

The early morning has two reasons.

The first, the light, which filters through the tower of the Cathedral of Saint Bavo, crowned by a Ukrainian flag.

The second is more mundane: that time is, possibly, the only time of the day in which the couple can take a photo without sharing the limelight with the bicycle.

Because if there is something in Ghent, and in many cities in northern Europe, it is

.

The figures say that there are even more than inhabitants.

All you have to do is look at the

, dominated by the church of San Nicolás and the old post office, today converted into a shopping center.

Hundreds of bikes wait patiently for their owners to mount them.

Cars are hardly seen: the City Council decided in 2017 to close the center to motor vehicle traffic, turning the central almond of the Belgian city into one of the largest pedestrian areas in Europe.

That same number of bikes surprises those who arrive at the stations of

, the two gateways to the city from Brussels.

Just over an hour separates the capital of this city from the Flanders region, whose 20% of the population is estimated to be non-Belgian citizens, especially university students.

The guild houses, one of the images of Ghent.

b.

From Saint Peters station, a tram, the other favorite means of transport for the citizens of Ghent, takes barely 15 minutes to reach the city center, dominated by the three towers: that

, the gigantic bell tower that enlivens the square with a concert of its carillon every first Friday of the month, between eight and nine in the afternoon.

The towers invite you to look up and meet the first symbol -and mascot- of the city.

, also present in Gulden Draak beer, watches over the city from above.

The current figure was placed in the 80s of the 20th century, but some of the previous ones can be seen inside the bell tower.

A bulletproof urn

The mystical animal seems to guard the Cathedral of Saint Bavo, in Brabantine Gothic style and which houses another of the city's symbols and jewels.

Dozens of people line up to see the new location of the

altarpiece .

The Ghent polyptych is one of the pinnacles of medieval painting in Western Europe and one of the

Visitors to the Cathedral can trace its troubled history through a virtual reality exhibition.

A helmet with augmented reality glasses guides the user through different rooms in the cathedral.

In each of them

.

From its conception to its passage through the hands of Napoleon or the Nazi army.

After several years of restoration to recover the original painting by the

, the altarpiece rests in a gigantic bulletproof glass urn where the temperature and humidity can also be controlled.

Eleven of its twelve panels are the original ones painted by the Flemish masters at the request of

and his wife,

, important bourgeois of the city.

Table number 12, stolen in 1934, is still unaccounted for.

The work is not only present in the cathedral.

The walls of the city have served as inspiration for several urban artists to capture their particular vision of the work.

In 2014, on the occasion of the premiere of the film The Monuments Men,

painted a huge mural a few meters from Saint Bavo's Cathedral.

It can still be seen, like other works that were distributed throughout the city for the Van Eyck year, celebrated in 2021. Among them, a collection of 15 statues by the Spanish

.

Werregarenstraat, the street of graffitiL.

b.

If you want to see more street art, you can visit the central and pedestrian street of

, where artists can capture their creations on the walls.

Before crossing the river Lys by the bridge of San Miguel, it is worth looking back to see one of the typical postcards of the city, the towers of the church of San Nicolás, the Belfort tower and that of the Cathedral of San Bavon.

medieval ghent

Once on the banks of the river, the walk passes in front of the guild houses, an ancient witness of the economic and social power that the city that saw the birth of

in 1500 treasured. What used to be a symbol of power today is home to bars and restaurants where, in the evening, students drink classic Belgian beers or a glass of

, a typical liqueur made from elderflower.

Following the right bank of the river, you reach

, the old meat market converted today into a gastronomic space where you can eat cured meats such as Ganda ham, typical of the city.

The market leads to the

, the ideal place to have some fries at Frites Atelier, whose crispy recipe is designed by Michelin star

.

To replenish liquids, nothing better than a Belgian beer.

In the area there are two breweries that every visitor should visit at least once:

, both with an extensive menu of draft and bottled beer.

Be careful if you ask for a gigantic Kwak, you have to pledge a shoe.

If you want to stop to eat, one option is to choose a restaurant on Oudburg Street, where you can eat food from various nationalities.

If it's Thursday, you may only find

dishes on the menu .

Since 2009, the city has proposed this day to eliminate meat and fish from the diet.

In addition, many places identify themselves as

, establishments where you can order leftover food to go in a box made of biodegradable cardboard.

Fries, a small Belgian delicacy.LB

Nearby is another of the city's jewels: the

.

Magnificently preserved, this 10th-century fortress houses an extensive collection of weapons and instruments of torture.

Despite this, and perhaps because of its views, it is one of the favorite places for couples to take photos in Ghent.

For lovers of medieval fortresses, the municipal archives are located in the

, a building that since its construction in the 13th century has been used as a noble residence, arsenal, monastery, school and diocesan seminary.

Near this building is one of the examples that shows how the city has also embraced modernity.

De Krook is an impressive library designed by the Ghent studio

architecten and its Spanish partner TV RCR Aranda Pigem Vilalta Arquitectes.

On the banks of

, it occupies the bend where ships from Wallonia unloaded coal.

Today it is a meeting point for various institutions and where citizens can go to read, have a coffee or study.

On the way to the Saint Peters station, which connects directly with Brussels, you can make a stop along the way to visit the

.

The institution is not only interesting for what it keeps within its walls: a whole collection of objects to immerse yourself in the "brain of a scientist".

The building, located in the city's Botanical Garden, is decorated by an impressive mural of various animal skeletons created by the urban artist ROA.

PRACTICAL GUIDE

How to get.

BrusselsAirlines.

The Belgian company offers flights to Brussels every day.

From the capital you have to take a train.

Where to sleep.

Harmony Hotel.

Central and cute.

Located a few meters from Gravensteen Castle.

kraanlei 37

Where to eat.

Frites Atelier

(Groentenmarkt, 20).

Belgian style fries with a recipe from a Michelin star chef.

From 7 euros the ration.

(Kortrijksesteenweg, 206).

Restaurant and hotel with a large garden.

More information

on the

website www.visitflanders.com/es and on the Ghent website visit.gent.be/es

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