By Karen Quinn-Panzer
Travel Matters
Karen Quinn-Panzer
Ghent, Belgium is written up by many travel writers as one of the European “gems” to visit that are not crowded yet. So I hesitate to tell you how fantastic Ghent is. But I’m going to anyway.
We had the privilege of spending two days in Ghent after our canal barge cruise through Belgium (last issue), and it was easily one of the top highlights of our trip.
When we arrived in Ghent, we were intrigued by the lime green color in the Lys River and the canals. We learned it was duckweed that proliferated due to the summer’s extreme heat and lack of rainwater. The contrast of the lime green with the earthy tones of a medieval city made for exceptional photos.
Top sights visited include the Gravensteen Castle, an incredibly restored 12th-century fortress only two blocks from our hotel. It was once the residence of the Count of Flanders, and became a high-security prison, a coin mint and an industrial cotton mill.
St. Bavo’s Cathedral houses the most stolen painting of all time – what is known as the Ghent Altarpiece. Two panels of this triptych were stolen from the high altar in 1934 and ultimately replaced by a copy. One of the world’s greatest cold cases, our guide told us a movie is being made and should be out next year.
Ghent is such a fun place to explore because it balances the old with the new in an unexpected way. For example, there is a place called Werregaren Street (more of an alley) where artists are able to legally express themselves through graffiti. The rest of the old city is free of random graffiti, and this alley becomes a fascinating street art gallery.
A favorite activity was learning to make Belgian waffles from scratch. Called waffles ‘n beer, it turned out to be a lot of fun as we taste-tested three beers and were given the opportunity to use one of them in our waffle batter. Belgium is known for its over 1,500 beers, which is even more amazing when you discover that each beer is served in its own specific glass.
We chose a beer called gulden draak, a beer from the 18th century featuring a golden dragon on the bottle, the symbol of Ghent. Legend has it that the dragon originated on the ship’s prow of a Norweg.
After stays in Constantinople and Bruges, the Norwegian dragon ended up in Ghent, where the city’s people put it on top of their belfry tower – symbol of the might of the city. Apparently, it’s a sore spot for the people of Bruges since there’s an age-old rivalry between the two cities. We left the activity with the recipe for Belgium waffles, an apron and a certificate for being a master Belgium waffle maker.
Beautiful chocolate shops and boutiques are housed in medieval buildings restored in beautiful ways throughout Ghent. I believe that Lonely Planet is right when they comment “Ghent might just be the best European city you’ve never thought of visiting.”
Karen Quinn-Panzer is the owner and vacation specialist at Dream Vacations Quinn Panzer Travel in Milford.