Why Ghent?
It’s the bicycles flying at you from all angles that are liable to get you into a fight with a passing tram that gives Ghent its extra edge. Or, rather, the people on the bicycles. The young faces give a hint at the enormous student population that gives this Belgian city an energy often missing from places that are too pretty for their own good.
Ghent is outrageously pretty; of that there is no question. It’s all waterways, sky-poking steeples, delightfully detailed facades and quirky ziggurat-esque roofs. Every corner brings another random turret, garden courtyard or art nouveau chocolate shop.
In medieval times, it was the centre of the world’s cloth trade and the third largest city in Europe after Paris and Constantinople. Those glory days are long gone, and it should feel like a preserved-in-aspic museum piece, descended upon by tour buses during the day and a sad ghost town at night. But it doesn’t. In fact, Ghent may have stumbled upon that perfect balance: small and beautiful enough to be cosy and manageable, large and young enough to be fun.
A comfortable bed
The Marriott (www.marriottghent.com; 0032 9 233 9393) is a mightily impressive architectural feat, sandwiched between and squeezed into numerous old houses while having an ultra-modern curving glass lobby wall/roof. A prime riverside location helps, while the wooden-floored rooms have a smart, peaceful grace. Doubles from €119.50 (Dh600)
The Grand Hotel Reylof (www.sandton.eu/gent, 00 329 235 4070) oozes wow factor – given a choice between dull and bold, bold always wins. Original artworks adorn the walls, while the spa, sauna and hammam are in the stables of a former baron's mansion. Doubles from €125.10 (Dh625).
Spectacular in a very different way, the Monasterium (www.monasterium.be; 00 329 269 2210) is a converted monastery complex. Most of the original architecture is left in place. The furniture is a mix of old and new and the rates are a bargain for the unusual setting. Doubles from €65 (Dh325).
Find your feet
There is a lift that'll take you part of the way up the 91-metre-tall Belfort (www.belfortgent.be; 00 329 233 3954), but the views from the claustrophobically tight 360-degree platform at the top mean so much more when you've trudged up the spiral staircase. You can see the enormous bells and the mechanical drum used to play them on the way up the tower, the bulk of which dates back to 1313.
From there, stroll to the river Leie to see gorgeous old houses, boats and bridges shot from the banks. Over the Gras bridge is the jarringly schizophrenic Design Museum (www.designmuseum.be; 00 329 267 9999). It switches from modern gallery spaces with displays of dreamy art nouveau glassware and art deco teapots to period rooms reflecting design trends throughout the ages.
Slightly to the north, art makes way for brute force at the Gravensteen (www.gravensteengent.be; 00 329 243 9730), a proper halberd-through-the-chest, boiling-oil-in-the-face castle. It's all stone turrets and rounded battlements, with a fittingly gruesome exhibition of torture instruments inside. Citycards (www.visitgent.be/en/citycard-gent) allow you to cover all the key sites and public transport, cost €35 (Dh175) for 72 hours. Unusually for such passes, they're genuinely worth the investment.
Meet the locals
There's a really healthy live music scene to dip into. Hot Club de Gand (www.hotclubdegand.be, 00 324 8 674 0799) is a great all-rounder, swaying from jazz to flamenco to blues.
Book a table
Ghent has a massive vegetarian scene. Avalon (www.restaurantavalon.be; 00 32224 3724) in a cluster of mismatched rooms near the Gravensteen, is one of the more charming and laid-back options. Rice, grain and veggie platters cost €15.60 (Dh78).
J.e.f. (www.j-e-f.be; 00 329 336 8058), meanwhile, appears convivially relaxed. But the chef Jason Blankaert has serious Michelin-starred pedigree from his previous ventures and there's a focus on ultra-seasonal, local ingredients. Simple sounding dishes get high-class treatments. Mains cost around €26 (Dh130).
Shopper’s paradise
Ghent is a little patchy for shopping. Burgstraat has a good collection of antiques shops and galleries in between garish giftware and flamboyant fancy dress shops. Mageleinstraat is a good bet for affordable but local fashion.
For edible souvenirs, chocolate is likely to be the winner. Luc Van Hoorebeke (www.chocolatesvanhoorebeke.be; 00 329 221 0381) by the Cathedral wins out over fierce competition due to having a glass floor. You can see the chocolatiers working the magic on the machines below.
What to avoid
Taxis are expensive – with a flagfall of €8.50 (Dh43) for even the shortest distance. It doesn’t matter much, however – almost everything you’ll want to see is within walking distance and trams cover the rest.
Don’t miss
The Museum Dr Guislain (www.museumdrguislain.be; 00329 216 3595) is a little out of the centre but is worth visiting for the building alone – all swoony brick archways around a central courtyard. Inside, it's an absorbing museum that goes into the history of psychiatry. That's sometimes gory – trepanned skulls and strait jackets adapted to keep people trapped in a lukewarm bath for hours – and sometimes absurd. The displays on Johann Caspar Lavater, who zealously banged on about how character could be assessed by studying the features of someone's face, are especially barmy.
Getting there
Direct flights from Abu Dhabi to Brussels cost from Dh3,465 with Etihad (www.etihad.com; 02 599 0000). From the airport, trains (www.belgianrail.be) take under an hour to get to Ghent and cost €15.20 (Dh76).
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