How to spend a day in Gent, Belgium

Last Updated on October 29, 2023

In March Ryan, Nick, and I took our first family holiday overseas since moving to the UK.

It still feels weird calling a destination that takes less than two hours to get to overseas. That’s one of the best things about living in the UK compared to Australia; it takes no time to get anywhere. The closest overseas location apart from New Zealand from Melbourne in Australia was Asia, and that was an 8-hour flight.

Anyhow, on our Belgium adventure we visited Gent, Antwerp, Brussels, and Bruges.

Our first stop was Gent, and like most other European cities I’ve visited, it was full of gorgeous dark buildings, and had a beautiful waterfront area where you could take a cruise, or eat at one of the many surrounding restaurants.

During our time in Gent, I could never tell if I was in the area I wanted to be in. I felt like the areas combined into one. Sometimes I wasn’t sure if I was in Patershol, or in Groentenmarkt. But wherever I was, one day was enough time to explore the city in full.

Here are my highlights from our Gent adventure.

What to see

Gravensteen Castle

It cost us €10per person (Ryan was free) to enter this castle, which is also known as Castle of the Counts. During our visit we walked around the grounds for some amazing views of the city. We also explored inside the castle, where we visited the museum of torture devices, and saw a collection of weapons.

After we finished exploring the castle we walked around the surrounding streets, which were filled with shops, statues, and a tourist information centre. Click here for Gravensteen Castle’s website.

Sint-Michielsbrug Bridge (Saint Michael’s Bridge)

Saint Michael’s Bridge was a short walk from Gravensteen Castle. This bridge is the only location in Gent where you can see Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, Saint Nicholas’ Church, and the Belfry Tower at the same time. It also provides a 360-degree view of the city, making it the perfect photo location. Click here for Saint Michael’s Bridge website.

Town Square

Once we crossed Saint Michael’s Bridge we reached Gent’s Town Square, also known as Sint-Baafsplein. Here we saw the Belfry Tower, which sits just beside St Bavo’s Cathedral.

We didn’t manage to visit the Belfry Tower, but we did enter St Bavo’s Cathedral, where we were fortunate enough to see the high-rise ceilings, and beautiful stain glassed windows. Click here for Town Square’s website.

Food to try

Cuberdon

I was determined to try Gent’s traditional sweet the Cuberdon, and didn’t stop until I found a cart selling them. Although I’ve since been told that it’s not entirely known whether this sweet originated in Gent, or in Bruges.

I thought that they’d be hard on the outside and soft on the inside, but they were soft on the outside, and even softer on the inside. The one I had was purple with a raspberry filling, but there are different colours with different fillings available. It was very sweet.

Coffee
We stumbled upon a coffee shop called Barista, which was quiet and cosy, just what we needed after a full day of walking. I had a dark hot chocolate, which was so good! Click here for Barista’s website.

Final thoughts
I’m glad we visited Gent, but I’d been keen to visit another Belgium city before I visited Gent again.

Whilst Gent was gorgeous and easy enough to get around, I felt like there wasn’t a great deal to do. One day was definitely enough time to see the highlights, and fit in a much needed hot drink.

Have you been to Gent? What did you think of it?