Staying Overnight in Ghent: The Perfect One-Night Stop for Arts Lovers
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Ghent surprised me.
I knew about the altarpiece, of course. Anyone who cares about art knows about the Ghent altarpiece by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, but I wasn’t prepared for the beauty of the city itself.
Strolling along the Leie River in the evening past a phalanx of extraordinarily well-preserved medieval guild houses glowing in the setting sun is my kind of artsy traveling.
Ghent feels like Belgium’s best-kept secret.
Stay overnight and you’ll have the city largely to yourself after the day-trippers head back to Brussels or Bruges. The streets empty, the light softens, and Ghent reveals itself as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
Table of Contents
Quick Facts: Overnight in Ghent
- Where is Ghent?: In the Flemish region of Belgium, 30 minutes by train from Brussels and from Bruges, 50 minutes from Antwerp
- Top sights: Ghent Altarpiece, Gravensteen Castle, Leie River waterfront, Sint-Baafskathedraal
- Best for: Arts lovers, architecture enthusiasts, anyone who wants medieval Belgium without Bruges’ crowds
- Must book in advance: Ghent Altarpiece timed entry — book well ahead, demand is high
- Getting there: Direct trains from Brussels (30 min), Bruges (30 min), Antwerp (50 min)
- Best time to visit: April to June, September to October
- How much time: One night and one full day is enough to see the highlights
- Where to stay: Castelnou Aparthotel, a short walk from the center, perfect for drivers
Why Visit Ghent?
Ghent sits in the shadow of its more famous Belgian neighbors — Brussels to the south, Bruges to the west — and is considerably better for it.
The tourists who flood Bruges largely bypass Ghent, which means you can wander a medieval city of extraordinary beauty without feeling like you’re on a conveyor belt.
The arts credentials are serious. The Ghent Altarpiece, officially called the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb and painted by Jan and Hubert van Eyck in 1432, is one of the most significant paintings in Western art.
It has been stolen, hidden, dismembered, and reassembled over six centuries, has survived two world wars, and is now housed in a purpose-built viewing room in Sint-Baafskathedraal with a level of conservation infrastructure that borders on the reverential.
Beyond the altarpiece, Ghent has Gravensteen Castle rising dramatically from the city center, a waterfront of perfectly preserved medieval guild houses along the Leie, and a university city energy that keeps the restaurants and bars lively without tipping into tourist trap territory.
Map of Ghent
The map below includes all the places mentioned in this post, including my recommended hotel.
Getting to Ghent
Ghent is easy to reach by train from anywhere in Belgium. Direct trains run frequently from Brussels (about 30 minutes), Bruges (about 30 minutes), and Antwerp (about 50 minutes).
The main station is Ghent-Sint-Pieters (#1), about 2 kilometers from the historic center. You can take a tram or taxi into town.
If you’re arriving by car from France or the Netherlands, Ghent sits conveniently on the main motorway network.
A private transfer with Daytrip is a comfortable option if you’re traveling between Belgian cities or arriving from farther afield — fixed pricing and no navigation stress.
Getting Around Ghent
The historic center of Ghent is compact and very walkable. Most of the main sights are within a comfortable distance of each other, and the streets are flat.
Trams and buses serve the wider city, but for a one-night stay you’ll likely not need them.
Ghent rewards wandering on foot, particularly in the evening when the streets empty of crowds and the city’s extraordinary medieval architecture is best appreciated.
Where to Stay in Ghent
Because we were arriving in Ghent by car, we chose Castelnou Aparthotel (#2), about a 10-minute walk from the historic center. The room was comfortable and the staff helpful. If you’re driving, it’s an excellent choice.
If you’re not driving, select a place in the historic center, which means less walking. Here are some options:
Ghent in a Day
Ghent is compact enough that you can cover the main highlights comfortably in a day. Here’s how I’d structure it:
- Visit the Ghent Altarpiece with your timed-entry ticket purchased in advance (see below)
- Explore Sint-Baafskathedraal
- Tour Gravensteen Castle
- Stroll along the River Leie
- Enjoy dinner overlooking the river
If time is limited, consider a guided tour. Here’s one from GetYourGuide that takes you down the river:
The Ghent Altarpiece
Book your timed entry to the Ghent Altarpiece at Sint-Baafskathedraal (#3) well in advance. Demand consistently outstrips supply and this is not a visit you want to leave to chance. Your best bet is to book directly on the Sint-Baafskathedraal Cathedral website.
You can choose to purchase the 60-minute augmented reality tour along with your visit to the Ghent Altarpiece, or just view the altarpiece iself. Unfortunately, Gregg gets dizzy on a merry-go-round, so we chose only to view the altarpiece.
However, if I visit again, I’ll opt for the Augmented Reality Tour.
Viewing the Altarpiece
The altarpiece lives in a purpose-built viewing room in Sint-Baafskathedraal. State-of-the-art climate control, lighting and conservation technology ensure the altarpiece will survive for many more centuries.
The correct name for the Ghent Altarpiece is the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, and it is a polyptych, a painting on multiple hinged panels.
I didn’t expect it to be so big, having only seen pictures. The altarpiece is 3.4 meters high and 4.5 meters wide when fully open. Jan van Eyck completed it in 1432, likely after the death of his brother Hubert who may have started it.
The detail is extraordinary. The faces are finely rendered and realistic. Eve in the top right corner looks fittingly glum as she stares at her half-eaten apple, while Adam in the top left corner stares with unseeing dismay.
Fabrics drape and swirl with gorgeous shadows and luminescent colors. The altarpiece looks as if it was painted yesterday, not almost 600 years ago.
And no wonder. A monumental restoration project was begun in 2012 and will be finished in 2026. The old hardened varnish layers and overpaintings were meticulously removed and now, for the first time since the 16th century, the original paint layer of Van Eyck can be viewed.
Photographing the altarpiece is a challenge because it is behind glass. But I managed to get a few good photos:
Significance of the Ghent Altarpiece
The Ghent Altarpiece is considered one of the founding works of Western oil painting. It’s certainly had an eventful six centuries.
Napoleon took it to Paris where panels were sold, lost, stolen, and recovered. During WWI, the panels were hidden to protect them from German forces. In WWII, the Nazis stole it so Hitler could display it in his proposed Führermuseum in Linz. Fortunately, the altarpiece was recovered by the Monuments Men from a salt mine in Austria in 1945.
Sint-Baafskathedraal
After the altarpiece, take time to explore the cathedral itself. Sint-Baafs is a Gothic cathedral of considerable grandeur, with a crypt containing early medieval tombs and a fine collection of Flemish paintings. It’s easy to spend an hour here beyond the altarpiece viewing room.
Gravensteen Castle
A ten-minute walk from the cathedral brings you to Gravensteen (#4), the Castle of the Counts, rising improbably from the middle of the city like something from a medieval manuscript. Built in 1180, it served variously as a seat of power, a prison, and a cotton mill, and is now one of Belgium’s most visited castles.
The views from the battlements over the Ghent rooftops are excellent. Allow 90 minutes to two hours.
Strolling the Leie Waterfront
After the castle, make your way to the Graslei (#5) and Korenlei, the two quaysides facing each other across the Leie River that together form one of the most photographed streetscapes in Belgium. The guild houses lining both sides date from the 12th to 17th centuries and are in remarkable condition.
We were lucky to arrive just before sunset on a clear day in spring when the old stone facades blazed with warmth.
Walk slowly. Take pictures. Find a café on the waterfront and watch the boats go past.
Dinner and the River After Dark
Fries are a thing in Ghent (apparently they eat a lot of them), as is good Belgian beer. Find a place that serves Belgian specialties and settle in. Unfortunately I don’t remember where we ate, but I do remember that the food was hearty and not too expensive.
Check your phone for places located in the old town with high ratings.
After dinner, go back to the river. The Graslei and Korenlei are beautiful in daylight but extraordinary after dark when the guild houses are illuminated and reflected in the Leie. If the weather is good, this is one of Europe’s great evening walks.
Ghent after dark is quiet, atmospheric, and lovely. Walk as far as you feel like, then find your way back through the medieval streets to your hotel.
Ghent FAQs
Absolutely, and it’s consistently underrated compared to Bruges and Brussels. The Ghent Altarpiece alone justifies the trip, and the medieval waterfront is among the most beautiful in Europe.
One night and one full day lets you cover the highlights comfortably. Two nights gives you more breathing room and time for the Museum of Fine Arts and slower exploration.
Yes, and well in advance. Timed entry slots sell out regularly, particularly in high season. Book as soon as you know your travel dates.
Direct trains run every 30 minutes and take about 30 minutes from Brussels and Bruges. It’s one of the easiest city connections in Belgium.
They’re different rather than comparable. Bruges is more immediately picturesque but considerably more touristy. Ghent is larger, livelier, and feels more like a real city. For art lovers specifically, Ghent has the stronger draw.
Spring and early autumn are ideal when the weather is fair (although chilly in the evenings) and crowds are manageable. Summer is busy but the long evenings are beautiful. Winter has Christmas markets and atmospheric lighting but shorter days.
The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, painted by Jan and Hubert van Eyck and completed in 1432, is considered one of the most important paintings in Western art. It effectively marks the beginning of Flemish painting and the broader Northern Renaissance. It lives in Sint-Baafskathedraal.
Very. The historic center is compact and flat, making it easy to cover the main sights on foot.
Tickets and Tours in Ghent
Here are some tours offered through GetYourGuide. The chocolate one looks particularly enticing.
Keep Exploring with Artsy Traveler
Check out these posts about destinations in The Netherlands just next door to Belgium:
- The Hague’s Best Museums: Mauritshuis and Escher in the Palace
- Best Two Days in Amsterdam
- Rijksmuseum Amsterdam: What to See and Why It’s Worth Every Minute
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