Self-guided Sightseeing Tour #2 in Ghent, Belgium
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Tour Facts
5.1 km
80 m
Experience Ghent in Belgium in a whole new way with our free self-guided sightseeing tour. This site not only offers you practical information and insider tips, but also a rich variety of activities and sights you shouldn't miss. Whether you love art and culture, want to explore historical sites or simply want to experience the vibrant atmosphere of a lively city - you'll find everything you need for your personal adventure here.
Activities in GhentIndividual Sights in GhentSight 1: St Bavo’s Abbey
Saint Bavo's Abbey is a former abbey in the currently Belgian city of Ghent. It was founded in the 7th century by Saint Amand, who also founded Saint Peter's Abbey, Ghent, near the confluence of the Leie and Scheldt rivers. Originally, the abbey was also called Ganda, a name of Celtic origin, meaning "river mouth", referring to the Leie river debouching into the Scheldt river.
Wikipedia: Saint Bavo's Abbey (EN), Website, Heritage Website
Sight 2: Sint-Machariuskerk
The St. Macharius Church is a church building in the Belgian city of Ghent. The church is located near St Bavo's Abbey and is dedicated to Macharius.
Sight 3: Zwembad Van Eyck
The Van Eyck swimming pool is the oldest swimming pool in Belgium and is located at the Portus Ganda in Ghent. It is known for its Art Deco décor and is often referred to as "the most beautiful swimming pool in Belgium". It was built in 1886 and includes a 25-meter pool, tub baths, changing rooms, a cafeteria, and the administration of the nearby marina. In 2001 it was thoroughly renovated.
Sight 4: Sint-Lievenscollege
The Sint-Lievenscollege is a Catholic group of schools in Ghent, Belgium, composed of a number of elementary and primary schools, a secondary general school ('humaniora') and a secondary vocational trade school.
Wikipedia: Sint-Lievenscollege (EN), Website, Heritage Website
Sight 5: Saint James' Church
The Sint-Jacobskerk is a church in the Belgian city of Ghent. The church is dedicated to the apostle Jacobus the superior.
Sight 6: Koninklijke Academie voor Nederlandse Taal- en Letterkunde
The Royal Flemish Academy for Dutch Language and Literature is an institution focused on the study and promotion of the Dutch language in Flanders. It is the Dutch-speaking counterpart of the Académie royale de langue et de littérature françaises de Belgique and one of Belgium's numerous academies.
Wikipedia: Royal Academy of Dutch Language and Literature (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 7: Hogeschool Gent: Koninklijk Conservatorium
HOGENT is one of the 17 Flemish university colleges. It was created in 1995 during the reform of higher education in Flanders from a merger of thirteen educational institutions. The branches of the university college are spread in Ghent, Aalst, Melle, Lokeren and Bottelare:Campus Aalst Campus Bijloke Campus Grote Sikkel Campus Ledeganck Campus Lokeren Campus Melle Campus Mercator Campus Schoonmeersen Campus Vesalius Proefhoeve Bottelare Site Geraard de Duivelstraat Site Buchtenstraat (FTI-Lab) Sports hall
Sight 8: Belfort
Join Free Tour*The Belfry of Ghent is one of three medieval towers that overlook the old city centre of Ghent, Belgium; the other two belonging to Saint Bavo Cathedral and Saint Nicholas' Church. Its height of 91 metres (299 ft) makes it the tallest belfry in Belgium. The belfry of Ghent, together with its attached buildings, belongs to the set of Belfries of Belgium and France, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sight 9: Mammelokker
Join Free Tour*The Mammelokker is a sculpture on the tympanum of a Ghent building from around 1741 by master builder David 't Kindt. The name is also used for the building itself, a former jailer's house that leans against the cloth hall at the Belfry of Ghent. The relief is a depiction of the Roman story of Cimon and Pero. In this legend, Pero saves her father from starvation by suckling him into prison. This is where the statue owes its name Mammelokker. It has been a protected monument since December 28, 1936 and has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1999 as part of the Belfry.
Sight 10: Koninklijke Nederlandse Schouwburg
The Royal Dutch Theatre Dutch: Koninklijke Nederlandse Schouwburg, or KNS, is a theater building in the Belgian city of Ghent.
Wikipedia: Royal Dutch Theatre (Ghent) (EN), Website, Heritage Website
Sight 11: Saint Bavo Cathedral
Get Ticket*Saint Bavo's Cathedral, also known as Sint-Baafs Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. The 89-metre-tall (292 ft) Gothic building is the seat of the Diocese of Ghent and is named for Saint Bavo of Ghent. It contains the well-known Ghent Altarpiece, also called the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.
Wikipedia: Saint Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 12: Bisschoppelijk Paleis
The Episcopal Palace of Ghent is the administrative seat of the diocese of Ghent and the residence of the bishop. The current building is located on the Bisdomplein in the East Flemish capital of Ghent. It is protected as a monument.
Wikipedia: Bisschoppelijk Paleis van Gent (NL), Heritage Website
Sight 13: Sint-Bavohumaniora
The Sint-Bavohumaniora is a Catholic secondary school in the Belgian city of Ghent.
Sight 14: Geeraard de Duivelsteen
Get Ticket*The Geeraard de Duivelsteen is a 13th-century gothic architecture building in Ghent, Belgium. It served as defense of the Portus Ganda, the city's port.
Sight 15: Wolweverskapel
The Wool Weavers' Chapel is a former chapel that was part of a complex with a place of worship that was founded by the guild of wool weavers. It is located in the Belgian city of Ghent on the Kortedagsteeg. The chapel and an outbuilding against the west façade are all that remain of this complex.
Sight 16: Opera Vlaanderen
The Royal Opera of Ghent was the more than 100-year-old independent Ghent city opera until its merger in 1981 with the Royal Flemish Opera in Antwerp. Both city operas were merged into the Opera voor Vlaanderen organisation, which was renamed Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in 2014.
Wikipedia: Koninklijke Opera (Gent) (NL), Website, Heritage Website
Sight 17: Arnold Vander Haeghen
The Arnold Vander Haeghen Museum in the mansion Hotel Clemmen is a museum in the Veldstraat in the Flemish city of Ghent. Highlights of the collection include a reconstruction of the study and library of the Belgian Nobel Prize winner Maurice Maeterlinck, the cabinets of Charles Doudelet and Victor Stuyvaert and a Chinese salon. The museum managed by Historische Huizen Gent is located in the building of the former Hotel Clemmen, a patrician house that was built in 1746 to a design by David 't Kindt.
Wikipedia: Museum Arnold Vander Haeghen (NL), Heritage Website
Sight 18: Hotel d'Hane-Steenhuyse
The Hotel d'Hane-Steenhuyse is an 18th-century hôtel particulier in the Belgian city of Ghent. It is located in the Veldstraat and was formerly owned by the D'Hane de Steenhuyse family.
Sight 19: Aula UGent
The Aula Academica of Ghent University is a university auditorium built in 1826 on Voldersstraat in the Belgian city of Ghent. The building has played an important role in the history of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, Belgium and the Flemish Movement.
Sight 20: Het Pand
Het Pand is a former Dominican monastery in the Belgian city of Ghent. Since 1963, Het Pand has been owned by Ghent University, which has housed a cultural centre and several scientific museums in the building. The entire building is recognized as a monument.
Sight 21: Rommelaere Instituut
The Rommelaere Institute is a neo-Gothic building of the University of Ghent and housed the Institute of Hygiene, Bacteriology and Forensic Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine. The Medical Biotechnology Center of the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology VIB had also moved to the site, until it moved to Zwijnaarde.
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Disclaimer Please be aware of your surroundings and do not enter private property. We are not liable for any damages that occur during the tours.
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