Brussels to Ghent: Private day trip

Ghent feels real. The buildings are old, the streets are lively, and students keep it from becoming a museum.

Start at St. Bavo’s Cathedral to see van Eyck’s “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb”, a painting that’s been here for over 500 years. Then head to Gravensteen, a castle in the middle of the city with stone towers you can climb and see the dark rooms that once held prisoners. Stroll along Graslei, where guild houses line the canal. Climb the Belfry for wide city views, and finish in Patershol. Where narrow streets and small restaurants give the old town a young feel. Ghent isn’t staged, it’s lived in. And that’s what makes it special.