On the third day in Belgium, the morning was bathed in sunlight, and the sky was deep blue. Justin had already left early in the morning to embark on a tour of the WWI battlefields. Since we had booked that tour for the next day, Meret and I decided to take a short train ride to Ghent.
Bruges and Ghent are very similar in terms of culture and appearance. However, Bruges is a sleepy town. By the time six o’clock rolls around, the streets are deserted and all of the visitors seem to vanish. Even during the day, there is a relaxed atmosphere throughout the town, hence the cosy feeling. Ghent on the otherhand, is a university town, and I noticed the difference in atmosphere immediately. The town is full of young people, not just tourists, and it has a vibrant energy. On top of that, it is stunning. The building facades along the canals are impeccably clean, and inviting cafes line the streets.

The first thing we did was find a canal ride.
We were lucky enough to find a rather cheap boat, driven by a very personable Belgian. He had long black hair and a big bushy beard, which seemed to exaggerate his expressions as he spoke. He told us about how Ghent had fallen on hard times in the 1970s, and it was once a place of stinky, polluted canals, and decaying old buildings. However, it was now a bustling univerisity town that has attracted the wealthy for years, and a few homes along the canal are now worth millions. The ride was fascinating, but above all beautiful. Willow trees draped the canal shores, and the stone walls of a castle shone like silver against the water.

During the tour, I loved catching glimpses of street art and murals along the canals. Belgians seems to have a natural artistic talent, and their street art only adds to the already eye-catching architecture.

After about an hour of ducking under low-hanging bridges, and squeezing through narrow canal passageways, the tour came to an end. We hopped off of the boat and grabbed some fries (of course) while we walked around the city. Did I mention how good the fries are? I could write a whole post about the perfectly potatoey fries, the vast choice of sauces, the handy fry-holder, and the friendly foodtruck sellers. No wonder that the Belgians take so much pride in their fries (even becoming angry when assumed that fries were invented by the French).
Anyway, the next stop was the castle. Gravensteen Castle was built in 1180. Inside there is a newly renovated museum of medieval history and weapons. We were also able to view the chapel and ballroom. I used Meret for scale.

From the top of the castle, we were able to see the city from a bird’s-eye-view.

Then we climbed the seemingly endless stairs of the Ghent Belfry. Built in 1380, it is the tallest midieval tower in Ghent.

“Belfie” time. Get it? Ha ha.

The next day, I went on an incredible tour of the WWI battlefields. More on that later!