Les meilleurs hôtels à Gand

Dating to the seventh century, Ghent is one of Belgium's oldest cities and is noted for its many Medieval and Renaissance buildings. Centuries-old guildhalls still stand, and narrow cobblestone streets remain as they were hundreds of years ago. Gravensteen, the former castle of the counts of Flanders that dates from 1180, is a major tourist attraction. The textile industry prospered from the city's inception, and Ghent continues to serve as Belgium's chief textile center, as well as its second-largest port. The city, which lies at the confluence of the Lys and Scheldt rivers, is 30 miles inland, but two canals connect Ghent with the North Sea. A network of smaller canals and streams within the city is spanned by more than 200 bridges. The Graslei is a beautiful waterfront dating to the 12th century. The second-largest city of Flanders (pop. 489,000), Ghent also relies on horticulture and market gardening. A major flower show, Les Floralies, is held in Ghent every five years. The Ghent skyline is dominated by three church towers: the St. Nicholas Church, the Belfry with its 91-meter bell tower and a glockenspiels featuring 52 bells, and the Gothic cathedral of St. Bavo. One of Christianity's great treasures, the painting "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, attracts huge crowds to St. Bavo's.