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Graslei and Korenlei, Ghent
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GhentTravel Guide

Belgium6 stories

Flanders' student-powered medieval powerhouse: a moated castle, the Van Eycks' Mystic Lamb, gabled quays and a creative food scene — Bruges' edgier, livelier sibling.

Is Ghent right for you?

When to come

Late spring and early autumn

Around 23°C by day in July, 7°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

Mid-range. Comfortable without planning around money, expensive if you stop counting.

What we've planned, and who for

We have a weekend here planned hour by hour.

Ghent is inCool in JulyEnough for a long weekendDeepest in EuropeWhere the food is the reason
When to go
January: around 7 degrees by day, 1 at night, 73 millimetres of rain, some rain.
February: around 8 degrees by day, 1 at night, 61 millimetres of rain, some rain.
March: around 11 degrees by day, 3 at night, 56 millimetres of rain, some rain.
April: around 15 degrees by day, 5 at night, 46 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
May: around 19 degrees by day, 9 at night, 63 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
June: around 21 degrees by day, 12 at night, 72 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
July: around 23 degrees by day, 13 at night, 82 millimetres of rain, wet.
August: around 23 degrees by day, 13 at night, 91 millimetres of rain, wet.
September: around 20 degrees by day, 10 at night, 76 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
October: around 15 degrees by day, 7 at night, 74 millimetres of rain, some rain.
November: around 10 degrees by day, 4 at night, 89 millimetres of rain, wet.
December: around 7 degrees by day, 2 at night, 93 millimetres of rain, wet.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

Late spring and early autumn

Average daily highs, recorded at Ghent, 1991-2020 normals.

Where this comes from

Royal Meteorological Institute (Belgium)

Budget level

Mid-range

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
Plan itWhere to stay in Ghentad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Ghent

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Ghent

The cobbled Saint Michael's Bridge in Ghent city centre looking towards Saint Nicholas' Church and the Belfry, a lone figure with a red bag walking in low winter sun
01
The List

Day Trips from Ghent: Seven Places an Hour or Less Away

Seven towns within about an hour of Gent-Sint-Pieters, with the trains, the timings and the current closures that decide whether each one is worth your day.

Belgium · 13 min
A green-framed Belgian shop window filled with rows of beer bottles on display.
02
Food

A Table in Every Quarter: Eating Across Ghent

Ghent's kitchens sort themselves by neighbourhood, and matching the right quarter to the right hour of the day matters more than chasing any single restaurant.

Belgium · 11 min
The Gothic tower of Saint Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent rising out of thick morning fog, with the Belfry a pale silhouette behind it and the empty square below.
03
Itineraries

Ghent in a Day: 24 Hours, Well Spent

A castle, a van Eyck masterpiece, a belfry and a river full of guild houses — all inside one walkable square kilometre. Here is the order that makes it work.

Belgium · 2 min
The white stepped-gable facade of the 't Klokhuys brasserie in Ghent's Patershol quarter, strung with coloured bunting and hung with purple window boxes, people at the tables below.
04
Stays

Sleeping Well in Ghent on Every Budget

A converted post office on the canal, a medieval quarter full of small hotels, and a hostel with the best free view in Belgium. Where to stay in Ghent, area by area.

Belgium · 2 min
Gravensteen, the moated medieval Castle of the Counts in Ghent, at dusk
05
Itineraries

48 Hours in Ghent: The Perfect Weekend Plan

A moated castle before lunch, the Mystic Lamb by noon, canal lights at night — Ghent hour by hour.

Belgium · 2 min
A waffle cart chalked "Ghent Specialities", banked with flowers on the cobbles
06
Food

What to Order in Ghent, from Patershol to the Groentenmarkt

Ghent's eating is organised by quarter rather than by rating, and this is what to order in each one, from the cobbled dining rooms of the Patershol to the warehouse kitchens at Dok Noord.

Belgium · 10 min
In pictures

Ghent, framed

Panorama of Ghent's rooftops seen from the top of Gravensteen castle, with stepped-gable houses along the canal and church spires rising over the old town
Photo: Gokul / Unsplash
Weathered brick and plaster rear facades in white, orange and blue rising straight out of the canal water, seen from the Kraanlei in central Ghent
Photo: Hubert Van den Borre / Unsplash
Graslei and Korenlei, Ghent
Photo: Jolien E. / Unsplash
The Gravensteen castle and its moat, Ghent
Photo: Geert Willemarck / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Ghent

Eat and drink

Where to stay

  • Around the centre

    The streets between the belfry, the Vrijdagmarkt and the university hold most of the mid-range stock, including grand-house conversions like Pillows Grand Hotel Reylof, set in an eighteenth-century mansion with a garden courtyard, and reliable modern options a short walk from Saint Bavo's.

    Read: Sleeping Well in Ghent on Every Budget
    Check ratesad · Booking.com
  • Or stay here and day-trip

    One genuinely useful strategy: base yourself in Ghent for a week and treat Bruges, Antwerp and Brussels as day trips.

    Read: Sleeping Well in Ghent on Every Budget
    Check ratesad · Booking.com
Before you go

Practical essentials for Belgium

Money

Euro (EUR)

Language

Dutch, French and German are all official; English is widely spoken in Brussels and in tourist settings in Bruges and Ghent.

Power

Type C/E, 230V 50Hz

Getting around

Trains link the cities and city transport takes a tapped contactless bank card — in Brussels, €2.40 a ride on STIB, capped at €8.50 a day — or the local operator's own card.

Tipping

Service is included in the bill, so rounding up or leaving about 10% for good service is a courtesy rather than an obligation.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink and meets the EU Drinking Water Directive.

Driving

Right-hand side; EU and EEA licences are valid as they are, and most other visitors should carry an International Driving Permit alongside their home licence.

Emergency

112 (police also 101)

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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