Ghent
Visit St. Bavo’s Cathedral and the Ghent Altarpiece, explore the Gravensteen castle and walk through the car-free historic center of this Belgian university city.
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Ghent is a city in East Flanders, in Belgium’s Flemish Region. Its car-free center has well-preserved medieval architecture, including the old Graslei harbor buildings. By the 13th century, Ghent was a major woollen-cloth producer and one of the largest cities north of the Alps. Today, the main sights include St. Bavo’s Cathedral and the Ghent Altarpiece, the belfry and Gravensteen castle. The belfry and cloth hall are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Art and architecture give you reasons to venture beyond the medieval core. The Museum of Fine Arts holds works by Flemish masters, while SMAK focuses on 20th-century art. The Boekentoren, a university building, is a notable modern landmark. For local food, try waterzooi, a stew often made with chicken, or cuberdons, purple candies with a jelly filling. Ghent also has mastellen, a local bakery bun, and stoverij, a Flemish meat stew often served with fries. The city has rain throughout the year, so pack for wet weather whenever you visit.
Ghent in five
- See the Ghent AltarpieceThe van Eyck brothers' altarpiece is in St Bavo's Cathedral on a ticketed visit with an audio guide. The cathedral itself can be entered separately.
- Take tram 1 from Sint-PietersThe main station is about 30 minutes on foot from the center. Tram 1 takes about 10 minutes to the Korenmarkt.
- Go up the belfry and into GravensteenThe belfry has an elevator for most of the climb, and the castle walls have views over the rooftops.
- Check the Gentse Feesten datesThe city festival fills the streets for ten days in July. It is free and lively, but rooms sell out.
Things to do in Ghent
See all attractions in Ghent
Need to know
- Airport
- Brussels (BRU), about 1 hour by train
- Getting there
- Train from Brussels about 30 min, from Bruges about 25 min
- Getting around
- On foot in the center; trams from the station
- Best base
- Near the Korenmarkt or Patershol, not by the station
- Time needed
- 1–2 days
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Snowy days
- Festival
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryRain14 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh7°Low2°Cold, quietJanuaryRain
Poor
- High
- 7°
- Low
- 2°
- Precipitation
- 83 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, quiet
- FebruaryRain12 rainy daysHigh9°Low3°Cold, quietFebruaryRain
Mixed
- High
- 9°
- Low
- 3°
- Precipitation
- 62 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, quiet
- MarchRain13 rainy daysHigh11°Low4°Cool, showersMarchRain
Mixed
- High
- 11°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 66 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, showers
- AprilPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh15°Low6°Mild, flowersAprilPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 15°
- Low
- 6°
- Precipitation
- 50 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, flowers
- MayPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh18°Low9°Mild, greenMayPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 18°
- Low
- 9°
- Precipitation
- 67 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, green
- JunePartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh22°Low13°Long daysJunePartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 22°
- Low
- 13°
- Precipitation
- 75 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Long days
- JulyPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh23°Low14°Gentse FeestenJulyPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 23°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 65 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Gentse Feesten
- AugustPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh24°Low15°WarmAugustPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 24°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 67 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm
- SeptemberPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh21°Low13°Mild, students backSeptemberPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 13°
- Precipitation
- 61 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, students back
- OctoberRain14 rainy daysHigh16°Low10°Cool, rainOctoberRain
Mixed
- High
- 16°
- Low
- 10°
- Precipitation
- 77 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, rain
- NovemberRain13 rainy daysHigh10°Low6°Wet, quietNovemberRain
Poor
- High
- 10°
- Low
- 6°
- Precipitation
- 77 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Wet, quiet
- DecemberRain14 rainy daysHigh8°Low4°Winter marketDecemberRain
Poor
- High
- 8°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 74 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Winter market
Average daily high and low in Ghent, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Festivals: Jul Ghent Festivities
Right now in Ghent
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
11
- Feels like
- 8°
- Humidity
- 63%
- Wind
- 15 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 92%
Ghent
09:37 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today13°8°92%Monday: Drizzle. High 13°, Low 8°. Chance of rain 92%.
- Tue10°5°4%Tuesday: Drizzle. High 10°, Low 5°. Chance of rain 4%.
- Wed10°3°0%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 10°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Thu8°3°0%Thursday: Clear. High 8°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Fri8°1°2%Friday: Cloudy. High 8°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 2%.
- Sat10°3°10%Saturday: Fog. High 10°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 10%.
- Sun11°6°12%Sunday: Cloudy. High 11°, Low 6°. Chance of rain 12%.
Updated 06:05 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Coming up
Every year
- JulTomorrowlandAntwerp, a day trip
- JulGhent FestivitiesGhent
- JulRock WerchterLeuven, a day trip
- AugFlower Carpet of BrusselsBrussels, a day trip
- AugMAfestival BruggeBruges, a day trip
Before you go to Ghent
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Rules for Ghent, checked
- Check Belgium’s visa requirements with the Belgian Foreign Affairs service before travel; they depend on your nationality and trip.Source
- Check the travel-document rules for your nationality before departure; EU citizens can travel within the EU with a valid passport or national identity card.Source
- Tipping is optional in Belgium; restaurant bills include service.
Plan around Ghent
The more famous canal town, 25 minutes by train
Read the guideBrusselsGrand-Place and museums, about 30 minutes
Read the guideAntwerpRubens, the MAS roof and the station hall, along the same rail corridor
Read the guideOstendA coast base on the line beyond Bruges
Read the guideAll of BelgiumCities, coast and Ardennes in one plan
Read the guideEES explainedWhat changes at the Schengen border
Read the guideGetting aroundTrains, trams and passes compared
Read the guideGhent FAQ
Ghent or Bruges: which is better?
Bruges is smaller and more picture-perfect; Ghent is larger, livelier and less crowded. With time for one night, many travelers prefer Ghent and visit Bruges for the day.
How do I get from Ghent station to the center?
Take tram 1 from Gent-Sint-Pieters to the Korenmarkt, about 10 minutes. Walking takes about 30 minutes.
When is the Gentse Feesten?
Ten days in the second half of July each year. Check the city's festival site for the exact dates.
Is Ghent a good day trip from Brussels?
Yes: trains take about 30 minutes and run often, and the center is compact. Start early to see the altarpiece, the castle and the canals, and stay for dinner if you can.
Do you need to book the Ghent Altarpiece?
Visits are ticketed, so book ahead in peak months and check the cathedral's official site for current slots. Mid-week mornings are usually calmer.