Ghent (place)

Belgian university city and provincial capital of East Flanders. Gent in Dutch, which they speak there, and Gand in French, which they don't. Less touristy than heavily reconstructed Brugge, it has a very late medieval city centre which is well worth the tram fare from Sint Pieters station. A pleasant and livable town, threaded throughout by waterways, and also a major inland port via a ship canal that joins the Scheldt estaury at Terneuzen. About 45 minutes by frequent train from Brussels and close to the E40 motorway.

Worth seeing:

• The Graslei and Korenlei streets on the banks of the Leie
• Sint Baaf's cathedral and Jan Van Eyck's altarpiece the Adoration of the Lamb
• The Gravensteen (castle of the Counts)
• The SMAK (stedelijk museum voor actuele kunst) gallery of contemporary art and the museum of fine arts opposite it (in the Citadelpark, near the station)
• A number of excellent bars including the Dulle Griet (in Vrijdagmarkt, named after the medieval siege cannon that is in the square) and the Waterhuis (by the river, unsurprisingly).

Historically, Ghent was a rich trading centre during the Renaissance, with ties with Italy; it was also the birthplace (and spiritual home) of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, or Keizer Karel as he is known locally.