Transfer from Brussels Airport to Gent

Book your low cost airport taxi transfer or minibus service for you and your travel mates fom Brussels Airport to Gent

Gent gives home to a population of a quarter of a million. Its size and position occupies an intermediate position between being the home of open cosmopolitanism and the intimate atmosphere of a provincial town. This fact allows inhabitants to enjoy this special and interesting crossover. Gent is thriving because many young people find pleasure in living here instead of choosing a smaller town or village or the crowded and confusing city centres of Brussels and Antwerp.

 

 

Gent is a historic city. During Medieval times it was counted as one of the richest and most powerful settlements all over Europe. There was a time when it was considered as the second largest city north of the Alps, Paris being the first one. The impact of this stirring past is striking when one views the stately edifices of churches and the houses of rich tradesmen. The whole city centre is reconstructed in this fashion, and still breathes the atmosphere of a thriving medieval city state. As the city council banished cars out of the centre, it is now a very friendly and open area, which does impress even the local inhabitants.

Gent is also a university city with more than 50,000 students, therefore its streets are crowded with young people. But, unlike Leuven, another university town in Flanders, there are not only young people living here. The exciting mixture of foreigners who came to live here, or artists, amongst the native people of Gent makes the city quite attractive. Interestingly, unlike smaller provincial cities or the bigger city of Antwerp, this mixture gives people a wide intellectual horizon. This atmosphere inspires every aspect of the city’s life. Many people of Gent truly look upon this place as their home, and are very proud to live there.
 

See

A city centre view, Gent

• Belfort en Lakenhalle (Belfry and Cloth Hall), Emile Braunplein
• Sint-Baafskathedraal (St. Bavo's Cathedral), Sint-Baafsplein
• Het Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts), Sint-Veerleplein
• Sint-Niklaaskerk (St Nicholas's Church), Korenmarkt (entrance on Cataloniestraat)
• Vooruit

 

 

Museums

STAM – Gent city museum tells the history of the city in the 14th century Bijloke Abbey. The abbey refectory shows pre-Eyckian frescos. STAM illustrates the story of Gent by displaying more than 300 historical objects and interactive multimedia applications with a lot of visual applications. Temporary exhibitions reflect on different aspects of urban life. Visitors can build Gent in LEGO bricks. The museum is fully accessible for wheelchair users.
 

Do

• Rederij Dewaele Canal Cruise, Graslei or Korenlei, ☎ +32 09/223-88-53
• Jan Plezier Boottochten, Snepkaai or Ketelvest, ☎ +32 0475 696 880
• Jog-Tours, [11]. Jog-Tours offers you the opportunity to discover Gent whilst running; fun, informative, and healthy!

 

Buy

• Vrijdagmarkt (Friday Market)
• Gent-Authentic, [12]. Discover the 'real' Gent with Gent-Authentic.

 

Eat

Oliebollen
Gent provides an excellent and affordable sample of Flemish gastronomy. Local peopla count this cuisine as one of Europe's finest because it combines French delicacy with northern European sturdiness. Try some local specialties such as mussels, spare ribs or 'stoverij' (tender meat cooked in dark beer with a brown gravy) with Belgian fries.

Another dish from Gent is the "Gentse waterzooi" (litt. "boiled water from Gent"), which originally was the poor people’s food, a stew of cheap fish (usually turbot) and vegetables. Now it is often made from chicken as well.

The restaurants on Korenmarkt and Vrijdagmarkt usually have reasonable prices; the menus and 'menus of the day' at the Brasserie Borluut provide fantastic value and this includes Gentse waterzooi. Upmarket restaurants are to be found in the 'Patershol', which is the name of the 14th century quarter, close to the Castle. There is also a numerous Turkish community in the city, centred around Sleepstraat a bit further north, which gives home to many Turkish restaurants.
 

Drink

You can find authentic pubs at St. Veerleplein (the square in front of the Castle), around St. Jacob's church (especially at weekends), or the student area around Blandijnberg (Mount Blandin), especially in the proximity of the School of Arts and Philosophy. It can easily be recognised from afar by the 64 metres tall art deco Library Tower.

Central Area: Castle-Korenmarkt-Graslei

• Waterhuis aan de bierkant (The Waterhouse on the beerside), Groentenmarkt 9 (near the Castle), Tel +32 9 225 06 80
• Het Galgenhuis (the Gallows house)
• 't Dreupelkot, Groentenmarkt 12 (near the Castle), Tel +32 9 224 21 20
• Hot Club de Gand, Schuddevisstraatje - Groentenmarkt 15b
• On Korenmarkt, you'll find the live jazz pub Damberd.

 

 

Sint-Jacobs & Vrijdagmarkt (Vlasmarkt-Beestenmarkt)

• Charlatan, Vlasmarkt 6, Popular club with many live concerts [15].
• Surrounded by the bars Jos [16], Vlasmarkt 7 and Bar des Amis [17], Vlasmarkt 5.
• de Dulle Griet, Vrijdagmarkt 50, A traditional Flemish bar with a variety of 250 drinks (mostly Belgian beers) [18].
• More alternative bars are Kinky Star [19], Vlasmarkt 9, 't begin van 't einde [20], Vlasmarkt 14 and Video [21], Oude Beestenmarkt 7, all have regular live concerts.

 

Student Area

• Overpoortstraat is a street with 34 pubs and bars where in the weektime (especially Wednesday and Thursday nights) all the students go crazy.
• Porter House, Stalhof 1 (near the Overpoortstraat). The official pub for Erasmus students from over Europe.
• Plan b [27] Typical cosy local bar located in the center of Gent. Nice view on the river. Street: Verlorenkost 17 - 9000 Gent 0498/10 66 03
• Bloomingdale's, Ter Platen (next to Kinepolis cinema). Trendy cocktailbar.

 

Sleep

Canals of Gent

Budget

• Youth Hostel De Draecke, Sint-Widostraat 11, Tel.: +32 9 233-7050
• Hostel 47

Splurge

• Hotel Trianon I St-Denijslaan 203, Tel.: +32 9 220-4840
• Best Western, Cour Saint-Georges Botermarkt 2, Tel. +32 9 224-2424
• NH Gent Belfort, Hoogpoort 63. 9000 Gante. Gent, ☎ +32 9 2333331

Different

• Brooderie Tel.: +32 9 225-0623
• Autour des Tours (Around the Towers), Limburgstraat 26, 9000 Gent, +32 (0)488.77.78.36
• Ecohostel Andromeda Bargiekaai 35, +32 (0)486.67.80.33

Book your low cost airport taxi transfer or minibus service for you and your travel mates fom Brussels Airport to Gent. Group bookings are available as well. City tours are available upon request.