10 other things to do in Ghent

In addition to visiting the obvious tourist attractions such as the Gravensteen, the Mystic Lamb in St. Bavo's Cathedral, the Gras and Korenlei, the Belfry, and the various museums, there is of course even more to experience in the city. Below are some suggestions.

Sail a boat yourself.

You can board a tourist boat tour, such as provided by 'De Bootjes van Gent' or

'Ghent Water Tourist', but it is much cooler to sail and discover the Ghent waterways yourself.
Rent your own boat from Minerva and be at the helm yourself!

Discover street art.

Ghent is rich in street art, including a number of works by the world-famous Ghent street artist ROA.

A walk or cycle route takes you past the various works of art. More information and a plan can be found here.

Visit a pub concert.
Ghent has many cafés where concerts take place regularly, whether free or not.
Here are various locations, you can find the concert agenda on their website

Charlatan, Trefpunt, Missy Sippy Blues & Roots Club, Kinky Star, The Hot Club and Bar Lume, BarBroos

Take a guided culinary walk.

Along with the sights of the city, also discover the regional specialties and the culinary side of Ghent. Various guide organizations offer guided culinary walks with tastings, an overview can be found here.

 

Discover the origins of Ghent.

The Sint-Baafs site is located just outside the center. In the 7th century, Amandus founded St. Bavo's Abbey here in an attempt to convert the inhabitants of Ganda.
Now the ruin is one of the most poetic sites in Ghent.
St. Bavo's Abbey can be visited from April to October on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Do a nature walk.

If you are in Ghent for a while, a nature walk cannot be missed.
The Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen Municipal Nature Reserve is located near the city center.
The 230 hectare reserve is a very important wintering area for birds. There are three walking routes: Bourgoyenpad (5.5 km - 2.30 hours), Meerskantpad, and Spoorwegdijkpad (2 km - 1 hour).

Browse a thrift store.

There are many thrift and second-hand shops in Ghent, where you will always find something.

Visit one, or rent a bike and visit several thrift stores in a few hours.

An overview of all thrift stores can be found here.

Visit the flea market.
Lovers of vintage and other trinkets can browse the second-hand and antique market at Beverhoutplein and Bij Sint-Jacobs. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Visit a brewery.

When you are in Belgium, you drink beer. Ghent obviously has many cafés with an extensive beer menu, but you can also visit some breweries. All information can be found here.

Eat 'al fresco' on a warm summer evening.

The Oudburg street in the Patershol is one elongated restaurant terrace in the summer. A Turkish meze, an Indian or Thai curry, Japanese sushi, a Portuguese paella, ... You will find everything here at reasonable prices.