Before visiting Belgium, we heard nonstop about Bruges.

But Ghent? Hardly anyone talked about Ghent.

And honestly…after visiting both, Ghent may have ended up being our favorite city in Belgium.

It has everything we loved about Bruges:

canals
medieval architecture
fairytale vibes
incredible food and beer

…but somehow feels less crowded, more local, and slightly more chaotic in the best possible way.

One minute you’re walking past gothic cathedrals and medieval castles, and the next you’re drinking beer out of a giant glass while your shoe hangs from the ceiling as collateral.

If you’re planning a Belgium itinerary, here’s everything we did in Ghent including castles, hidden alleyways, iconic viewpoints, Belgian beer experiences, and why we think this city deserves way more hype.

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📍 Where is Ghent?

Ghent is located in the Flanders region of Belgium between Brussels and Bruges, making it an incredibly easy stop on any Belgium itinerary.

Travel times:

Brussels to Ghent: ~35 minutes by train
Bruges to Ghent: ~25 minutes by train
Antwerp to Ghent: ~1 hour

Ghent is extremely walkable, especially within the historic center.

⏳ How Much Time Do You Need in Ghent?

We spent half a day but we personally think Ghent deserves at least a full day.

A lot of people visit as a quick stop between Brussels and Bruges, but there’s honestly enough here to justify spending 1-2 nights if you enjoy:

medieval cities
castles
photography
beer culture
wandering aimlessly down cobblestone streets pretending you live in Europe now

✨ Best Things to Do in Ghent Belgium

Ghent somehow manages to feel both grand and relaxed at the same time. The city is packed with castles, canals, gothic churches, quirky bars, hidden alleyways, and some of the most beautiful architecture in Belgium.

Here are the best things to do in Ghent based on our visit.

👉 Explore tours and activities in Ghent here

Map of Our Favorite Places in Ghent 👇

⛪ Visit Saint Bavo’s Cathedral

This is one of Ghent’s most iconic landmarks and absolutely worth visiting.

The cathedral is stunning both inside and out and is home to the world-famous Ghent Altarpiece, considered one of the most important works of art in Europe.

Even if you aren’t normally a “let’s tour another church” person while traveling, this one genuinely feels impressive.

One important thing to know before visiting is that while Saint Bavo's Cathedral itself is free to enter, there’s an additional fee if you want to see the famous Ghent Altarpiece exhibit (€12.50 per person), with upgraded augmented reality experiences costing more.

Even if you don’t purchase the art ticket, we still think the cathedral is absolutely worth stepping inside for the architecture and atmosphere alone. But if you’re interested in history or art, seeing The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb in person is definitely one of the cathedral’s biggest highlights and one of the most famous works of art in all of Belgium.

COST: Church is FREE, Mystic Lamb viewing starts at €12.50 per person

🏰 Explore Gravensteen Castle

This may have been our favorite attraction in Ghent.

Gravensteen is a massive medieval castle located right in the middle of the city, which honestly feels slightly unfair because most cities do not casually have a giant castle sitting in downtown.

We visited around 4pm and loved exploring the stone corridors, towers, and panoramic viewpoints overlooking Ghent.

Admission was around €15 per person during our visit and we booked tickets online in advance.

If you only do one paid attraction in Ghent, we’d recommend making it this.

COST: €15 per adult, €3 for kids ages 13-18, FREE for kids ages 12 and under.

🌉 Walk Along Graslei & Korenlei

This is the postcard view of Ghent.

Historic guild houses line the canals while cafés and restaurants spill out along the waterfront. It honestly feels like every direction you turn deserves its own photoshoot.

COST: FREE

🌁 Cross Saint Michael’s Bridge

If you want one of the best panoramic views in Ghent, this is the spot.

From the bridge you can see:

Saint Nicholas’ Church
Saint Bavo’s Cathedral
the Belfry
canals
historic buildings all lined up together

It’s one of the best photography spots in the city.

COST: FREE

🎨 Wander Graffitistraat

Also known as Graffiti Street, this colorful alleyway is constantly changing thanks to new street art being added all the time.

It’s one of Ghent’s coolest hidden corners and gives the city a slightly edgier vibe compared to Bruges.

We loved how Ghent mixes medieval history with modern creative energy.

COST: FREE

🍬 Try a Ghent “Nose”

One of Ghent’s most famous local treats is the cuberdon, nicknamed “Ghent noses.”

These cone-shaped candies have a soft raspberry filling inside and are honestly way messier than they look.

Worth trying at least once? Absolutely.

COST: Most stands will only sell minimums of 10 for around €10; however, we found that Leonidas sold them in packs of 5 for €3.50

🍺 Drink Beer at Dulle Griet

This place may win the award for most chaotic beer experience in Belgium.

Dulle Griet is famous for serving giant specialty beers that require you to hand over one of your shoes as collateral.

Your shoe then gets lifted into a basket hanging from the ceiling until you return the glass.

Belgium is truly operating on another level.

Even beyond the gimmick, this is a super fun bar with a huge beer selection and an awesome atmosphere.

This was easily one of the funniest moments of our Belgium trip.

COST: For their famous MAX beer (aka the shoe beer) it's €14.70

🚤 Take a Boat Cruise in Ghent

One thing we honestly wish we had time for in Ghent was taking a boat cruise.

Seeing the city from the water looked absolutely incredible, especially with all the medieval buildings, bridges, and church towers reflecting along the canals. Ghent already feels magical walking around, but viewing it from the canals seems like a completely different experience.

Most boat cruises pass by:

Graslei & Korenlei
Saint Bavo’s Cathedral
medieval guild houses
hidden waterways
historic bridges
Gravensteen Castle

If we visited Ghent again, this would probably be one of the first things we’d add to our itinerary.

👉 You can browse Ghent boat cruise options here

🚶 Tips for Visiting Ghent

Visit Early or Stay Late: Ghent becomes incredibly atmospheric in the evening once things quiet down.

Wear Comfortable Shoes: Cobblestones everywhere. Your ankles have been warned.

Don’t Rush: Some of our favorite moments in Ghent were simply wandering canals and side streets without a plan.

Easy Day Trip: Ghent works perfectly as a day trip from Bruges or Brussels if you’re short on time.

🤍 Final Thoughts

Ghent completely exceeded our expectations.

It somehow manages to feel:

medieval
artsy
relaxed
historic
lively
slightly chaotic

…all at the same time.

If Bruges feels like a polished fairytale, Ghent feels like the cooler, slightly rebellious sibling with better nightlife and more personality.

And honestly? We’re already thinking about going back.

If you love castles, beer, street art, and medieval architecture but want somewhere with more local energy than Bruges, Ghent absolutely deserves a visit.