Let's Go Europe 2019. Harvard Student Agencies

to the area curve through the city, acting as a guide throughout and drawing you to many of the city’s cafés and restaurants. On the northern side of the city center, you’ll find the castle, Gravensteen, right on the water. Just south are the three buildings making up Ghent’s distinct skyline in a line from west to east: St. Nicholas’s Church, the bell tower, and St. Bavo’s Cathedral. Heading northeast from there will take you past the graffiti street and St. Jacob’s Church, just past which is the historic Vrijdagmarkt Square. Finally, outside the city center to the south is Citadelpark, the home of the city’s noteworthy art museums.

       ESSENTIALS

      GETTING THERE

      If traveling from an international destination, Ghent is located 45min. away from the international airport, Zavantem (Brussels Airport). From there, you can take a train to Ghent. The Brussels South/Charleroi airport is located 70min. from Ghent; you can connect to Ghent via train. There are nine shuttles from Brussels South airport to Ghent’s main train station. Ghent is perhaps easiest to reach via train, as it has two main stations: the Gent-Sint-Pieters Station and Dampoort Station. Take the tram #1 from the former to reach the city center and, from the latter, hop on buses #3, 17, 18, 38, or 39.

      GETTING AROUND

      Buses and trams are the methods of public transportation in Ghent, although you can easily walk to everything you want to see. Purchase tickets from Linjwinkels at main bus terminals and railway stations.

      PRACTICAL INFORMATION

      Tourist Offices: Sint-Veerleplein 5; 09 266 56 60; open daily 10am-6pm

      Banks/ATMs/Currency Exchange: Steendam 108 (09 269 17 20; open M-F 8:30am-5:45pm, Sa 9:30am-4:30pm)

      Post Offices: Bpost (Franklin Rooseveltlaan 2; 02 201 23 45)

      BGLTQ+ Resources: This website is a good link for members of the BGLTQ+ community traveling in Ghent: www.stad.gent/over-gent-en-het-stadsbestuur/stadsbestuur/wat-doet-het-bestuur/uitvoering-van-het-beleid/welzijn-gezondheid/holebis-en-transgenders

      EMERGENCY INFORMATION

      Emergency: 100 for ambulance; 101 for police

      Police: Politie Commissariaat Gent Centrum (Belfortstraat 4; 09 226 61 11; www.lokalepolitie.be/5415)

      US Embassy: The nearest US Embassy is located in Brussels (Bd. Du Régent 27, 1000 Bruxelles; 02 811 40 00; open M-F 7:30am-5:30pm)

      Rape Crisis Center: RAINN (800 646 4673) and National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (303 839 1852)

      Hospitals: Ghent University Hospital (De Pintelaan 185; 09 332 21 11).

      Pharmacies: Small green crosses mark pharmacies. Pharmacy Denys (Kasteellan 74; 09 225 20 69; open M-F 8am-12:30pm and 2pm-6:30pm)

       ACCOMMODATIONS

       HOSTEL UPPELINK ($)

      Sint-Michielsplein 21; 92 79 44 77; www.hosteluppelink.com; reception open 7:30am-11pm

      The location of Hostel Uppelink really couldn’t be better. Right across from St. Christopher’s Church, the hostel’s sitting area and bar overlook the city’s inland waterways, an area accompanied by countless other bars and restaurants. In addition to offering Belgian beer tastings every Tuesday and Thursday (they know what the people want), the hostel also conducts free walking tours and assists with convenient kayak rentals. A word of advice: beer tastings and kayak rentals do not mix well.

       i Dorms from €19; reservation required; max stay 7 nights ; limited wheelchair accessibility; Wi-Fi; linens included; towels for rent; laundry €5; free breakfast

       HOSTEL DE DRAECKE ($$)

      Sint-Widostraat 11; 92 33 70 50; www.jeugdherbergen.be/en/youth-hostels/city-hostels/gent-de-draecke; reception open 7am-11pm

      Hostel de Draecke offers the small perks that every weary traveler rejoices to see. En suite bathrooms, an included breakfast (no stale-and-hurriedly-eaten-on-the-way-to-a-landmark muffins here), and a free walking tour make you appreciate the little things in life, like not wearing flip flops in the shower. The neighborhood, right across the water from the castle, is surprisingly secluded and quiet, although all the main sights and activities of the city center are still just a stone’s throw away.

       i Dorms from €23; reservation required; wheelchair accessible; Wi-Fi; lockers available; free breakfast

       SIGHTS

      CULTURE

       GRAFFITI STREET

      Werregarenstraat; open daily 24hr

      Even if your only experience with graffiti was writing “Fill in the blank was here” on some wet cement or drawing penises in your friends’ notebooks when they weren’t looking (don’t deny it, we’ve all done it), you’ll appreciate this colorful alleyway. On this small street, it’s legal for artists to paint as much as they want, and the result is a vibrant and constantly evolving public work of art. It has everything from ultra-realistic whales and giant heads to complicated signatures and messages on the floor. If you’re feeling bold, grab some spray paint and give it a go. We just hope you’ve matured past phallic symbols.

       i Free; wheelchair accessible

       VRIJDAGMARKT

      Vrijdagmarkt; open F 7:30am-1pm, Sa 11am-6:30pm

      The Vrijdagmarkt is a square surrounded by eighteenth-century guildhalls that house cafés, bars, and restaurants. However, it’s also the site of one of Ghent’s old traditions: since 1199, the square has transformed into a market on Fridays (hence its name, meaning “Friday market”). Now, there’s also a market on Saturday, but “Vrijdagenzaterdagmarkt” doesn’t have the same ring to it. After perusing the market stalls, check out the statue of Jacob van Artevelde, who was murdered at the market, and grab one of the 250 Belgian beers from the menu at Tavern Dulle Griet.

       i Stand prices vary; wheelchair accessible

      LANDMARKS

       BELFRY OF GHENT

      Sint-Baafsplein; 92 33 39 54; www.belfortgent.be; open daily 10am-6pm

      The construction of Ghent’s belfry began around 1313. A visit to the bell tower today will take you through the cloth halls (relics from Ghent’s textile-trading glory days) and the hidden “secrecy room,” where a German command center was concealed with a false floor during World War II. Taking the stairs or elevator up into the tower will reveal the enormous drum and bells still used to mark the hour, as well as panoramic views of the city. This UNESCO World Heritage site also displays various dragon vanes. Try to go around the hour, when you can watch the drum rotate and ring the bells like a giant city-sized music box.

       i Admission €2.70; guided tours at 3:30pm for €3; no wheelchair accessibility