Gent Travel Guide, Belgium

Having 230.000 inhabitants, Gent, the capital of the East Flanders province is the 3rd largest port city in Belgium. It is an industrial port city situated at just 30 minutes by train from Brussels and Lille, considered a great destination when visiting Belgium.

The transportation system here is highly developed consisting of five train stations and extensive public transport lines.

Gent Travel-guide points out that cars are banned in the city centre. The inhabitants and the visitors are all encouraged to walk when arriving in the centre of Gent.

Gent is rich in culture, beer, chocolate and jewelry traditions combining the old and the new in an attractive way. Being a port, it is an economically developed city; it is also a lively and lovely city mainly because of Gent University, one of the largest in Belgium with more than 30.000 students.

The city gathers people from all over the world during the “Gentse Feesten”, “I love techno”, “10 Days Off” musical festival or the Flanders International Film Festival. There is also a special place for those who love plants and flowers, a huge botanical exhibition, a true delight for everybody’s eyes, taking place every five years.

Gent Travel-guide – Cuisine

Gent cuisine satisfies your tastes with local Flemish, French or German delicacies. Notable Gent restaurants and bars are spread all over the city for people to come, eat, drink and feel good; some of them are: Pablo’s Gent, Grade, Godot, Brasserrie Deus, restaurant Tar-Tard, The Old Gent or Prime Donna which is the best pizza place in the whole city.

A donut-shaped bun called a “mastel” or “Saint Hubert bread” is sold in local bakeries every year on 3 November when “Saint Hubert feast day” is celebrated.

Belgium is nevertheless famous for chocolate. Gent is part of this business of making and selling all sorts of chocolate and biscuits delicacies.

Gent Travel-Guide- Shopping

Jewelry is best represented in Gent with unique silver, platinum and gold designs.

Shopaholics may buy anything they like in a diversity of shops, full of clothes, accessories, art, crafts and all kinds of beautiful, well-done souvenirs for you to take home a small piece of this wonderful European city.

There are various places to shop in Gent: all the markets with flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, or new goods make Gent a paradise for shoppers.

Gent offers you many things to do, see, buy, eat or drink at every corner. Many boutiques, shops, the famous, Flea market opened every Friday are good examples.

There are very popular commercial areas in Gent among which the best are: Veldstraat (a chain of stores) and Volderstraat on Granby Street, other attractive shops are on Colley Avenue and on the streets of Hoogpoort. The 21st Street is located in the heart of Gent where the elegant complex called “Palace Shops” definitely satisfies your shopping expectations assuring buyers safety and the best services.

A must buy on your shopping list is the mustard sauce or ketchups made in a special bowl or jar and they respect the original recipe of Madame Veuve of 1858.

Gent Travel-Guide- Famous People

Gent has personalities that its inhabitants are proud of. Some of them are: Saint Bavo, the patron saint of Gent, Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, Leo Baekeland, a chemist and inventor of Bakelite, Suzanne Lilar, an essayist, novelist and playwright, Jean Daskalides, gynecologist and founder of Leonidas chocolates, Kristof Ongenaet, a basketball player or Jan Roobbe, an electronic musician and founder of the band Entity.

Gent represents an ideal place for those who want to discover a perfect match between ancient and modern in all its diversity.