General tourist information

Introduction to Ghent
Travel and mobility information (bus/tramline/boat)

Introduction to Ghent

 
To fully enjoy Ghent you can book one of the three half day-tours or the Ghent CityCard at the registration page.

The city of Ghent is a compact, authentic city where the past and present co-exist in perfect balance.

Ghent is one of the most beautiful and authentic historical cities of Europe. Walking through Ghent is like travelling through time: you turn the corner and just like that, you go from the fourteenth century to the twenty-first (and back!). Nevertheless, everything seems to astonishingly belong together.

Three grand medieval towers form the city's unique skyline. The Castle of the Counts’ impressive walls and merlons let your imagination run wild. The adoration of the Mystic Lam by the Van Eyck brothers is only one of the many art treasures in the St Bavo's Cathedral. The three beguinages are tranquil oases of peace, classified as world heritage sites by Unesco.

Old or new masters. Antiques or design. The life of the cleric, the industrialist or the common man. A visit to the city is not complete without seeing at least one of the important and original museums of Ghent such as the world-renowned Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art (S.M.A.K.), the Museum of Fine Arts, the Design museum Gent, the Museum about Industry, Labour and Textile (MIAT) and the STAM - Ghent City Museum.

Water plays a key role in Ghent. The city developed at the confluence of the rivers Lys and Scheldt. Water invariably creates a sparkling atmosphere, distinctive of water cities: you always get a holiday feel. During the Middle Ages, the port at the Graslei and Korenlei formed the story of the incredible blossoming of Ghent’s economy.

With over 70,000 students, Ghent is the largest university town in Belgium. The presence of this young population leaves a dynamic mark on the city and this surely adds to the lively atmosphere that Ghent exudes.

Regional dishes or international cuisine. Snacks or five-course dinners. Ghent offers a restaurant suited to every degree of hunger. Being Europe's veggie capital, the city of Ghent offers plenty of possibilities for vegetarians too. Ghent is also known for its regional beers and jenevers available in the many cosy pubs.

Ghent is ready to welcome you with open arms!

©Visit Gent: https://visit.gent.be/

Travel and mobility information

How to reach Ghent?

By Plane

The main airports in Belgium are Brussels Airport (Zaventem) and Brussels South Charleroi Airport.

1. Brussels airport has his own trainstation where you can easily take the train to Ghent. The airport train station is located below the terminal (basement level-1). Keep your train ticket close at hand upon arrival at Brussels Airport. You will need to scan it at the automated access gates. You can check train schedules and buy your tickets beforehand here.

 If you fly in on a smaller airport (Antwerp, Liege…) or you want a private transfer from your airport to your hotel, do not hesitate to contact us for more information.

By Train

If you want you can reach Ghent by train. To see with which countries we have a (direct) train connection, click here.

Getting around in Ghent

After the first introduction to Ghent it’s time to inform you how you can get around in this beautiful city. The car-free city centre is tailor-made for the pedestrian and the cyclist. With bus and tram you can reach any part of the city quickly and easily (even on weekend evenings) and taxis are also readily available.

On foot

Ghent’s pedestrian-friendly city centre, with an area of 30 hectares, is the largest in Belgium. The historical city centre is a perfect place to walk or just saunter. There are treats for all the senses: your view is not obstructed by traffic, you can hear the excited chatter of the people around you and smell the delicious aromas coming from the shops and restaurants. The plentiful pedestrian signposts ensure that you always know perfectly well where you are and in which direction you need to go. Even more so when you have a map available.

Hop on hop off water tram

The hop on hop off water tram gives you a different way to visit the city's attractions. There are six stops: Castle of the Counts, Graslei-Korenlei, Museum Site, St Peter's Abbey, St Bavo's Cathedral and Veldstraat. When you buy a CityCard Gent, the day pass for the hop on hop off water tram is included in the purchase price.

Public Transport

The public transport in the city is well organised, with a comprehensive network of trams and buses. From early in the morning until late at night, the buses and trams will take you anywhere in and around Ghent.

A free map with the service in Ghent can be asked for at the so-called Lijnwinkels (the shops of transport company ‘De Lijn’), located at the main bus terminals: near Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station, near Korenmarkt and at Gent-Zuid (Ghent South). This map is also available at the Inquiry Desk Visit Gent. Or plan your route online.

Buy your ticket in advance at the ‘Lijnwinkels’ or from the vending machine at the bus stop.

The Lijnwinkel Gent-Zuid is open from Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. till 7:00 p.m. That also applies to the one at Gent-Sint-Pieters, except for a lunchbreak from 0:15 till 0:45 p.m.

The Lijnwinkel near the Korenmarkt is open from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. till 0:15 p.m. and from 0:30 till 5:00 p.m. 

Taxis

Taxis are waiting for you at the Gent-Sint-Pieters and Gent-Dampoort train stations, and at many other strategic locations around the city: Korenmarkt, Woodrow Wilsonplein (‘de Zuid’) and Flanders Expo. Of course you can also phone or preferably even reserve a taxi in advance.

Click here for the list of taxi firms in Ghent.

We apologize for forwarding towards a dutch site. Please take into account, the Belgian country code: +32  eg. +32 9 385 46 46 when dialing a Belgian telephone number.