The city of Ghent in Flanders was founded in the seventh century. It was the center of the European cloth trade and a historical witnessevents. Ghent has been an important seaport since 1827, when the Terneuzen Canal became the port of the city with the estuary of the Westerschelde and theNorth Sea connects.
The ancient and romantic city is home to a large number of spectacular sights.
One of these highlights is the St. Michaelis Bridge in the center of Ghent. When you stand on this bridge, you get an unforgettable view of the three famous towers of the city. First there is the mighty keep from the fourteenth century, the tower of St. Nicholas Church and the tower of St. Baas Cathedral.
According to HEALTH-BEAUTY-GUIDES, Ghent also has many quarters and squares that arouse the interest of its visitors with their history and architectural architecture. In Drongen, a district of Ghent, the monk Armandus had an early medieval monastery built in the seventh century. After being destroyed several times, a church has stood here since 1859 and is still considered the spiritual center of the Jesuits today.
Oostakker became famous for its Roman Catholic “Shrine of Oostakker”, the shrine of the Virgin Mary. This small community is still a popular destination for pilgrimages to this day.
The ornate guild houses on the Friday market in the center of the city immediately catch the eye of the visitor to Ghent. He is the witness of many historical events. The English King of France was proclaimed here in 1340. The Overpoortstraat is a very special recommendation for visitors to Ghent. This street is home to the very best bars and pubs in town. Many tourists spend at least two days a week here. These shops are so busy and popular that you almost have to dance on the tables.
Ghent is particularly impressive for its architecture from the different centuries. The town hall of Ghent is a special mixture of the late Gothic and Renaissance periods. As an imposing example of Gothic architecture, the meat hall stands in the vicinity of the Gravensteen. It was built between 1407-1419 and was used to store and sell meat and sausages in the fifteenth to sixteenth centuries.
But the fish market with its baroque facade, on which the king of the sea “Neptune” and the rivers Schlede and Leie are depicted, is definitely to be mentioned.
The Castle Gravenstein was one of the largest moated castles in Europe. Its origins date back to 507 and was used as the seat of the counts until 1353. During the fifteenth century the castle functioned as a court and was equipped with several dungeons and a torture chamber. If visitors want to visit the castle today, one can see the notorious torture chamber as well as the court and weapon museum.
In the beguinage, which then belonged to the Alijn family, families with their children don’t miss out either. Many puppet shows take place here on a regular basis. You can also enjoy the art of Ghent in the Folklore Museum. In the Museum of Fine Arts there are impressive pictures by many famous Flemish painters, such as Jean Fouguet and Hieronymus Bosch.
Of course there are also numerous theaters, opera houses and other opportunities to take part in Ghent’s cultural life. In the Capitol, the De Vilaamse Opera and the municipal concert hall De Bijloke, you can indulge yourself completely in musical pleasures, whether opera or musical. But of course you can also take part in theater performances in the many theaters. The Public Theater Gent, the Wimpus, the lovely Poppenthater and the Europees Puppet Theater Center are highly recommended.
In the wonderful St. Baaf Cathedral you will find the largest baroque organ in the Benelux countries as well as the famous Ghent Altarpiece, which dates from 1432.
The University of Ghent was founded in 1817, and Desmond Tutu from South Africa received an honorary doctorate in 2005. One of the most famous sights of the university is the book tower, completed in 1940, which currently houses well over two million books on 26 floors. The university’s botanical garden offers enough space for more than 10,000 plant species. If you have the time and luck, you have the opportunity to take part in events or guided tours in the botanical garden of Ghent University.
Liège (Belgium)
The center of the Walloon region of Belgium, the province of the same name and the diocese is Liège. the city with its 194,054 residents and 69.39 square kilometers is located at the confluence of the Ourthe and Maas rivers.
In 717 the city became a bishopric and gradually developed into a very important one in the Middle Ages cultural and political center. Due to a partial connection with the French Revolution in 1789, the revolution also took place in Liège, which was suppressed in 1791. In the years 1888-1892 Liège was developed into a fortress city.
Sights of Liège
Stairway
It is one of the steepest sights in Liège. The 374 steps lead from the core of the historic old town up to the medieval citadel.
Saint-Barthelemy
This church was built in three steps between the eleventh and twelfth centuries. In the eighteenth century, two more aisles were added to it. The two towers on the western front are typical of the architecture of the Romanesque church. Inside the church there are wonderful paintings by Flimalle Bertholet (1614-1675) and Engelbert Fisen (1655-1733), both famous artists from Liège.
Mimorial Interallie
This memorial began in 1928 and has not yet been completed. The 75 meter high tower was planned as a memorial to commemorate the beginning of the resistance in the First World War against the invading troops.
Plaine de Cointe
This is a green, spacious park with attached tennis and sports fields that are accessible to everyone, as well as a lookout point from where you can get an impressive view of the entire city center.
