The trip, in order
Follow the route day by day. Times and prices can change, so check official information before you travel.
Castle and historic quays
Ghent
- 1
Gravensteen
The counts' castle rises directly from Ghent's historic centre, with thick stone walls, towers and interior spaces that explain medieval lordship within a wealthy trading city. The visit is worthwhile because it brings several strands of Belgian history and landscape together in one clearly legible setting. Time on site can focus on stone keep, battlements, gatehouse, while the surrounding streets, grounds or scenery provide useful context. It works especially well as part of a regional itinerary because the place adds a distinct subject rather than repeating the experience of nearby attractions.
- Duration
- 90 minutes suggested
- Price
- Check current official information.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
- 2
Graslei and Korenlei
The facing quays on the River Leie are lined with restored guild and merchant houses, showing how trade, waterways and urban architecture shaped medieval and early modern Ghent. The visit is worthwhile because it brings several strands of Belgian history and landscape together in one clearly legible setting. Time on site can focus on guild-house façades, Leie quays, historic bridges, while the surrounding streets, grounds or scenery provide useful context. It works especially well as part of a regional itinerary because the place adds a distinct subject rather than repeating the experience of nearby attractions.
- Duration
- 75 minutes suggested
- Price
- Check current official information.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
Cathedral, belfry and museums
Ghent
- 1
St Bavo’s Cathedral, Ghent
The cathedral is central to Ghent's religious and artistic history and houses the Van Eyck brothers' Ghent Altarpiece, one of the defining works of early Netherlandish painting. The visit is worthwhile because it brings several strands of Belgian history and landscape together in one clearly legible setting. Time on site can focus on Ghent Altarpiece, Gothic nave, crypt, while the surrounding streets, grounds or scenery provide useful context. It works especially well as part of a regional itinerary because the place adds a distinct subject rather than repeating the experience of nearby attractions.
- Duration
- 60 minutes suggested
- Price
- Check current official information.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
- 2
Belfry of Ghent
Ghent's civic belfry represents the autonomy and wealth of the medieval city, with its bell chamber and elevated views set between the cathedral and the former cloth hall. The visit is worthwhile because it brings several strands of Belgian history and landscape together in one clearly legible setting. Time on site can focus on bell chamber, dragon weathervane, panoramic views, while the surrounding streets, grounds or scenery provide useful context. It works especially well as part of a regional itinerary because the place adds a distinct subject rather than repeating the experience of nearby attractions.
- Duration
- 60 minutes suggested
- Price
- Check current official information.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
- 3
Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent (MSK)
MSK presents European art from the medieval period to the twentieth century, with particular strength in Flemish painting and a setting beside Ghent's Citadelpark museum district. The visit is worthwhile because it brings several strands of Belgian history and landscape together in one clearly legible setting. Time on site can focus on Flemish masters, nineteenth-century art, conservation displays, while the surrounding streets, grounds or scenery provide useful context. It works especially well as part of a regional itinerary because the place adds a distinct subject rather than repeating the experience of nearby attractions.
- Duration
- 120 minutes suggested
- Price
- Check current official information.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
- 4
STAM Ghent City Museum
STAM explains Ghent's urban development through maps, objects, models and historic buildings, making it useful for understanding how the medieval core expanded into a modern city. The visit is worthwhile because it brings several strands of Belgian history and landscape together in one clearly legible setting. Time on site can focus on large floor map, city models, Bijloke abbey buildings, while the surrounding streets, grounds or scenery provide useful context. It works especially well as part of a regional itinerary because the place adds a distinct subject rather than repeating the experience of nearby attractions.
- Duration
- 120 minutes suggested
- Price
- Check current official information.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
Leie castle and civic Gothic
Deinze and Oudenaarde
- 1
Ooidonk Castle
Ooidonk combines a moated setting, brick-and-sandstone Renaissance architecture and formal grounds, illustrating the aristocratic country estates that developed around the Leie valley. The visit is worthwhile because it brings several strands of Belgian history and landscape together in one clearly legible setting. Time on site can focus on moat, Renaissance façades, courtyard, while the surrounding streets, grounds or scenery provide useful context. It works especially well as part of a regional itinerary because the place adds a distinct subject rather than repeating the experience of nearby attractions.
- Duration
- 90 minutes suggested
- Price
- Check current official information.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.
- 2
Oudenaarde Town Hall and Belfry
The richly carved late-Gothic town hall and its belfry reflect Oudenaarde's prosperity during the textile era, with civic rooms and collections linked to the town's tapestry tradition. The visit is worthwhile because it brings several strands of Belgian history and landscape together in one clearly legible setting. Time on site can focus on late-Gothic façade, belfry, civic interiors, while the surrounding streets, grounds or scenery provide useful context. It works especially well as part of a regional itinerary because the place adds a distinct subject rather than repeating the experience of nearby attractions.
- Duration
- 60 minutes suggested
- Price
- Check current official information.
- Start time
- Choose a start time that suits your day.