Ghent, Belgium

While Bruges was the capital of West Flemish, Ghent is the capital of the East Flemish Province. Ghent was quite the hidden gem and our B&B hosts recommended it over the other cities which see quite a bit of tourism.

There was an interesting contrast between the two cities that were near eachother. Bruges felt very manicured and heavily renovated. Beautiful and very quaint, a picturesque Belgium town. Ghent felt a little more original , more grand and had some rough edges showing their original state. Ultimately, we found Ghent a bit more liveable and had some amazing shots of multiple cathedrals lined up in a row.

Archaeological research has shown that the earliest signs of human settlement in Ghent date back to prehistoric times. However, it was during the Roman period that a community began to grow near the confluence of the two rivers Scheldt and Leie. In the Middle Ages, the Abbey of Saint Peter was founded commercial activity began. By the late 15th century, the cloth trade had begun to wane, though Ghent remained prosperous by shifting its economy to the shipping trade along the Leie and Scheldt rivers. In the latter part of the century, however, the closing of the Scheldt brought with it commercial decline, a decline not to be reversed until the revival of cloth working during the industrial boom of the 19th century. It was not until the early 19th century, when the city became a part of the French Empire, that peace and prosperity was restored to Ghent. From 1800, new factories were constructed such as sugar refineries and cotton mills causing the population to triple.The poor working and living conditions resulted in the creation of the first Belgian trade union in Ghent. Today, Ghent is a lively city with a population of about 250,000 inhabitants.Read more