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7 Most Instagrammable Spots in Ghent, Belgium's Underrated Canal City
Ghent sits between Bruges and Brussels in every sense, a compact Flemish city of guild houses, a moated medieval castle and canal-side terraces that draws far fewer crowds than its more famous neighbour.
Sep 25, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Ghent tends to get treated as a day trip from Bruges or Brussels, which is generous to neither city, since it holds its own compact stretch of guild houses, a fully intact medieval castle and a student-town energy that keeps its café terraces busy well past the last tour bus. Its skyline of three medieval towers, the Belfry, St Bavo's Cathedral and St Nicholas' Church, is compact enough to photograph from several angles within an easy walk. Here are seven spots worth the stop.
1. The Graslei and Korenlei
Facing each other across the River Leie, these two quays hold Ghent's best-known row of gabled guild houses, most striking around golden hour or lit up after dark, and the single most photographed view in the city.
2. Gravensteen Castle
A genuine moated medieval fortress in the middle of the city, complete with turrets and battlements, the Gravensteen offers rooftop views back over Ghent's towers and canals for visitors who climb to its ramparts.
3. Sint-Michielshelling (St Michael's Bridge)
The bridge connecting the Graslei to St Michael's Church frames the city's three-tower skyline in a single shot, and is generally considered the best single vantage point for Ghent's medieval silhouette.
4. Patershol
A tangle of narrow cobbled lanes behind Gravensteen, Patershol has kept its low brick houses largely free of major redevelopment and now holds a dense concentration of small restaurants and bars in a distinctly un-touristy setting.
5. Vrijdagmarkt
Ghent's historic market square, ringed by guild houses in a mix of architectural styles and centred on a statue of the medieval revolutionary Jacob van Artevelde, still hosts a genuine Friday and Saturday market.
6. St Bavo's Cathedral
Home to the Ghent Altarpiece, one of the most significant works of early Netherlandish painting, the cathedral's Gothic interior is as much a draw for art history as for architecture.
7. The Design Museum courtyard and Dulle Griet
The 15th-century cannon known as Dulle Griet, parked near Vrijdagmarkt, and the Design Museum's quieter courtyard nearby round out a walk through Ghent's mix of medieval grit and understated civic pride.
Traveller tips
- Ghent-Sint-Pieters station has frequent direct trains from Brussels (around 30 minutes) and Bruges (around 25 minutes).
- The historic centre is compact and best explored on foot or by the city's canal boat tours.
- Belgium uses the euro; most cafés and museums accept cards.
- Late spring through early autumn generally offers the longest daylight for photographing the Graslei skyline.
Where this is
Ghent, Belgium