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Explore Belgium: East Flanders marvels with medieval treasures and picturesque countryside
From medieval oil paintings to creative cuisine and a rich cycling heritage, East Flanders is home to some of Belgium’s most famous art, sites and landscapes. With its enviable spot in the middle of the province, capital city Ghent is not only a destination in itself but also the perfect homebase to explore this experience-laden region.
Ghent
In the Middle Ages, Ghent was the second-largest city in northern Europe, renowned for its thriving port. Today, that former harbour is the heart of the city’s downtown, where ancient architecture coexists with a modern, innovative spirit. Just one example is its Unesco-recognised belfry, the tallest in Belgium, and new futuristic library De Krook (pictured) occupying the once neglected waterfront. Linger as night falls to appreciate Ghent’s award-winning lighting, which highlights the city’s medieval marvels.
Art & culture
No trip to Ghent is complete without glimpsing The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, otherwise known as the Ghent Altarpiece. Painted by the Van Eyck brothers in the 15th century, it is one of the world’s first large-scale oil paintings and is renowned for its extraordinary attention to detail. Its position in Sint-Baaf’s Cathedral’s crypt comes complete with an augmented reality tour
For a decidedly different experience, walk through Werregarenstraat, or “graffiti alley”. This is the only place where street artists can legally paint on the walls. Ghent’s museum quarter, meanwhile, is home to the Museum of Fine Arts, the Smak contemporary art museum (pictured) and Stam, the city museum. Stam is part of the Bijloke arts campus, where you’ll find a concert hall, tiny cinema and cafe.
Food & drink
The city’s perennial favourite upscale restaurant is the two-Michelin-star Vrijmoed. But in a city teeming with foodies, there are an endless number of good options for all palettes. Check out the tiny Horn OK Please for authentic Indian or La Cantina del Donki, run by a brother and sister with Nicaraguan roots. Stop in at The Cobbler via its well-hidden entrance on the Graslei for old-world ambience and cocktails. An outstanding selection of international wine and English books can be found at Vinogradoff.
Biking
Get around Ghent faster with Visit Flanders’ 39-kilometre bike route. Download the GPX and whizz along to sites inside and outside the city, like the historic train station, the Prinsenhof neighbourhood – birthplace of Charles V – and the Blaarmeersen, a recreation area with a swimming lake, sandy beach, mini-golf, play area and skatepark.
Aalst
Although it is largely known for its carnival celebrations, Aalst has much more to offer. A number of historical buildings dot the city’s stately Grote Markt, including the belfry, which can be visited every third Sunday of the month. Attached to the belfry is the original 13th-century city hall, which is the oldest remaining one in the Benelux. Pop through the green doors of the nearby neo-classical city hall to get to the lovely back garden.
The Gasthuys campus is the oldest part of Aalst, dating from the 12th century. Once a hospital and cloister, it is now the site of the city museum. Built over a period of 180 years, the city’s Saint Martinus Cathedral boasts a dazzling interior filled with natural light, an altarpiece by Peter Paul Rubens and a glorious custom-built wooden organ.
The Flemish Ardennes
The hilly Flemish Ardennes is known throughout the cycling world as the heart of the tough Tour of Flanders bicycle race. Visit the Tour’s experience centre in Oudenaarde, the picturesque region’s biggest city. You can find out all about the famous spring Monument, get advice for cycling tours in the area and rent bikes. Oudenaarde also has one of Belgium’s most beautiful city halls, complete with a belfry. Inside the building is a museum dedicated to tapestry, an industry that made the city rich in the 16th century. While biking is synonymous with the Flemish Ardennes, there are plenty of options for walkers. The 16km Panorama walking trail gives you a heck of a workout as well as incredible views. Tip: It’s easy to build in shortcuts.
Deeper south on the border with France is Ronse, a nice little town with a great history that can be discovered at the Experience Centre. The town’s reputation as a place of healing is witnessed at the St Hermes basilica and crypt, once a bath house for the many pilgrims who arrived in the middle ages to be cured of their ills. The Gothic-style crypt is breathtaking. Undergoing renovation in 2024, it will reopen to visitors in March 2025. On the square outside the basilica is a fountain spurting water in ever-changing colours and descending pools of flowing water. Outside Ronse is the Muziekbos (pictured), or Music Forest, with many opportunities for hikers. In the spring, bluebells blanket the ground.
Other highlights in the province
Meetjesland in the northwest of the province is a great place for outdoor exploration, with forests in the south and polders in the north. Unlike the Ardennes, it’s pretty flat, making it a family-friend option for hiking and biking. Several marked walking routes take in fantastic sites like the Poeke Castle in Aalter. Over in Maaldegem, you can catch an historical steam train to Eeklo – and back again.
The 16th-century Ooidonk Castle on the outskirts of Deinze is meticulous inside and out and still serving as a home to the Count of t’Kint de Roodenbeke. Guided visits are available from April to November. Grab a bite to eat on the ample terrace of the Koetshuis cafe in the castle’s former coach house. In fine weather, take a picnic along the Ooidonk walking route instead, where idyllic spots along a tributary of the Leie river await. Also in the area is Vosselare Put, a popular swimming hole with diving platforms, a grassy bank and a cafe.
There’s nowhere in Belgium quite like the Verbeke Foundation, an open-air contemporary art museum with many large-scale installations and temporary exhibitions. Ever changing, you never know quite what you’ll see on this green, overgrown property in the middle of nowhere. Two of the eyebrow-raising pieces double as accommodation – one is in the shape of a giant colon, the other is simply called Blob – you’ll know why when you see it.
With its extremely limited opening hours and rural location, Shoes or No Shoes in Kruisem requires a bit of effort to visit, but it’s an exceptional museum with a truly unique collection. It all started when artists around the world were asked to send one of their shoes to collectors. The results – and this extraordinary building – must be seen to be believed.
Explore Belgium: Hainaut is ideal for culture, nature, heritage and folklore | The Bulletin
Photos: (main image) Ghent at night ©Stad Gent tourism service; De Krook ©Stad Gent tourism service; ©Phile Deprez; S.M.A.K. - Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art; Bike tour ©Stad Gent tourism service; Visit Aalst; 0ptieTweeIcoonfietstroutes ©JohanMartens; Ooidonk Castle ©westtoer.be
