2 Days in Ghent: A Realistic Day-by-Day Itinerary

The Belfry rises directly over Korenmarkt, and you can climb its winding spiral staircase or take the lift to the top for the view over the city; the tower still carries a carillon of 54 bells, which you may hear on a Sunday morning. Allow around an hour for the climb, the view and the bells.

Five minutes away, Sint-Baafskathedraal holds the Ghent Altarpiece, the van Eyck polyptych often described as the first great oil painting, along with Gothic architecture and a whale skeleton that surprises most visitors. Give the cathedral at least 45 minutes if you want to see the altarpiece properly, and treat the two as one midday block rather than splitting them across days.

Gravensteen, the castle of the counts, sits on Sint-Veerleplein a short walk from the cathedral. The current fortress dates from 1180 and later served as a courthouse and prison for 400 years; the museum of torture devices on the top floor is the part most visitors remember. Whether you go inside or simply walk the walls, go earlier in the day rather than late afternoon.

Afterwards, the Patershol lanes behind the castle are one of the oldest districts in Ghent, with narrow streets that slow the pace after a morning of towers. End the afternoon here rather than adding a paid attraction, which keeps the first day full without overspending it.

Ghent runs an illuminated walk that takes in the centre at dusk, with the bridges and quays lit after dark. It costs nothing beyond your time and gives the first day a natural end without another ticket, so save the walk back along the canals for the evening rather than doing it twice in daylight.

Begin on Vrijdagmarkt, the historic square that still works as a social hub, and time your visit for a Friday if you want the market of fresh food, antiques and handmade trinkets that gives the square its name. On other days the square is worth a circuit anyway for the scale of it and the everyday city life around the edges.

From Vrijdagmarkt, walk south to the museum quarter around Citadelpark, a large green space with open lawns that feels distinctly local after the medieval core. This is where the second day slows down: pick one museum rather than attempting all three.

The three museums here suit different tastes. MSK Gent holds Flemish masterpieces and centuries of European art; SMAK is its contemporary counterpart and the better choice if modern work is what you came for; Design Museum Gent sets sleek modern design inside historic interiors, and is the most distinctive of the three for a short visit.

Whichever you choose, give it most of the afternoon rather than squeezing two in. The honest trade-off is between a second museum and time on the quieter canals later in the day; a second museum on tired legs usually wins nothing.

Portus Ganda, where the rivers meet, is the place to see a different Ghent: follow the water away from the busiest areas and the paths thin out within minutes. If the weather is kind, Blaarmeersen, the large recreational area locals use for walking and swimming, makes a green contrast to the medieval centre, though you will need to check the season before planning a swim.

Finish with something distinctly Ghentish. Gruut beer is brewed with herbs instead of hops, and a beer café in the centre is the place to try it; alternatively, a canal cruise from the Graslei or Korenlei shows the quays from water level at dusk. For a wider plan covering the city across a whole weekend, see our Ghent City Break. Either makes a good last evening.