Sightseeing

St Baafs Cathedral is the best place to start exploring the historic heart of Ghent. The Gothic monument is probably best known for its 15th Century altarpiece, "The adoration of the Mystic Lamb", by the van Eyck "brothers". The fact that it's still in Ghent is a small miracle: the Calvinists wanted to destroy it, Philip II of Spain wanted to get it, Emperor Joseph II of Austria was highly upset with the nude Adam and Eve and replaced them with a clothed version of the couple (which can be seen just inside the entrance), while the Germans confiscated it and transported the altarpiece to an Austrian salt mine until the end of the Second World War. And then there's the story of the theft of one of the panels, which certain sources claim is still hidden somewhere in the cathedral.

St Niklaas Kerk (St Nicholas Church): Just look at the structure of this recently restored monument.

Stadhuis (City Hall): the most intersting hall open to the public is undoubtedly the Pacificatiezaal, where the signing of the Pacification of Ghent (1576) took place. The agreement brought Southern and Northern Flanders together against the Habsburgs, with the promise of religious freedom.

Main Post Office: Its carved heads represent the monarchs who visited Ghent for the 1913 World Expo.

's Gravensteen (Counts Castle): Built in 1180, this cold, dark and cruel building was to intimidate the town's headstrong people, as well as protect them. For the fans, we recommend the castle's collection of gruesome instruments of torture.

Museums: Ghent also offers a wide range of museums: the Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst (contemporary art), the Museum van Industriële Archeologie en Textiel (looms and old textile materials), the Museum voor Volkskunde (depicting local life and work in the 18th and 19th Centuries) and the Museum voor Sierkunst (period rooms containing fine examples of early Dutch and Chinese porcelain).

Boat trips through the heart of Ghent depart from the Graslei daily from 10 to 18hrs.


Shopping

The main shopping area is in and around the Veldstraat with its department store, Inno, and several other boutiques.

For Books, you can go to Fnac (where they also sell compact discs, videotapes, photo material, hifi, TV's, etc...), Standaard Boekhandel, Club or, for old and second-hand titles, De Sleghte.

For music, there's also Free Record Shop, Super Club and Disc.

Belgian chocolates can be bought at Daskalides, Leonidas and Temmerman (where they also sell delicious Tierentijn mustard). Local candy stores will also offer the "real" lekkerbekken, Gentse mokken, katrienspekken, or babbelaars.

All sorts of Belgian beers can be obtained at Craenkindershuys.

Belgian lace is sold at the Kloskanthuis.

For soundtracks, film books and posters, there's the Selling Dreams shop at the Decascoop cinema theatre.