Gent
Things To Do
The Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, better known as the SMAK, is one of Belgium’s leading galleries. It’s well known for its exciting temporary exhibitions as well as its permanent collections of contemporary art.
The Museum voor Volkskunde (also known as Het Huis van Alijn) provides a wonderful insight into life in Gent in the 19th century. It’s housed in a series of alms houses and contains reconstructed shops, pubs and other aspects of life during this period. It’s great for children and parents will love it too.
Another museum well worth a visit is the Bijlokemuseum, a red-brick abbey dating from the 13th century. It was closed down as a religious building in during the French occupation in the late 18th century, and today contains a large collection of various types of sculpture, furniture and decorative art.
For castle lovers, the Gravensteen, once home to the counts of Flanders, gives a great taste of medieval life in the city. Built in the 12th century by Philip of Alsace as a military fortress, its austere walls and towers loom imposingly over the water in the north west of the city centre.
The Museum voor Volkskunde (also known as Het Huis van Alijn) provides a wonderful insight into life in Gent in the 19th century. It’s housed in a series of alms houses and contains reconstructed shops, pubs and other aspects of life during this period. It’s great for children and parents will love it too.
Another museum well worth a visit is the Bijlokemuseum, a red-brick abbey dating from the 13th century. It was closed down as a religious building in during the French occupation in the late 18th century, and today contains a large collection of various types of sculpture, furniture and decorative art.
For castle lovers, the Gravensteen, once home to the counts of Flanders, gives a great taste of medieval life in the city. Built in the 12th century by Philip of Alsace as a military fortress, its austere walls and towers loom imposingly over the water in the north west of the city centre.