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Ghent

Belgium travel guide

What to see in Ghent

Medieval towers, the Ghent Altarpiece and a lively university city.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 5 must-see places
  • Best time: from March to October
  • Typical food: Waterzooi
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Ghent highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. St Bavo’s Cathedral

    With The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.

  2. Graslei and Korenlei

    Quays lined with guild houses.

  3. Castle of the Counts

    A castle in the centre.

  4. Graffiti Street

    Werregarenstraat.

  5. Belfry

    Views of the three towers.

Day trips from Ghent

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

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When to travel to Ghent

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Ghent are from March to October.

  1. Jan with warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov with warnings
  12. Dec with warnings
  • from November to February

    Grey, cold and rainy

    The days are short and it rains often; in December, though, there are the Christmas markets.

    What to do: For strolling, April to September; for Christmas markets, December.

Typical food of Ghent

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Ghent from your kitchen).

Waterzooi
Photo: Tamorlan · CC BY-SA 3.0

Waterzooi

Ghent’s creamy stew: chicken (once river fish) cooked with leek, carrot and celery, finished with cream and egg yolk. It’s half soup, half stew.

  • Serves 4
  • 1 h 15 min

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken, jointed
  • 2 leeks
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 1 onion
  • 1 litre of chicken stock
  • 200 ml cream
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 40 g butter
  • Parsley, salt and pepper

How to make it at home

  1. Cut the vegetables into thin strips and soften them in the butter.
  2. Add the chicken and stock and cook for 45 minutes.
  3. Take out the chicken, remove the bones and cut it into pieces.
  4. Whisk the cream with the yolks, add to the broth off the heat and warm through without boiling until it thickens slightly.
  5. Return the chicken and serve with parsley and boiled potatoes.

The trick: Don’t let it boil once the yolks are in: they’ll curdle.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: the brasserie. The dishes you can’t miss are in the Belgium guide.

Frequently asked questions about Ghent

What to see in Ghent?

St Bavo’s Cathedral, Graslei and Korenlei, Castle of the Counts, Graffiti Street and Belfry.

What to see in Ghent in one day?

Don’t miss St Bavo’s Cathedral, Graslei and Korenlei, Castle of the Counts, Graffiti Street and Belfry. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to Ghent?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Ghent are from March to October.

What day trips can you take from Ghent?

Ghent.

What is the typical food of Ghent?

Waterzooi. Ghent’s creamy stew: chicken (once river fish) cooked with leek, carrot and celery, finished with cream and egg yolk. It’s half soup, half stew.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.