Ghent Graslei and Gravensteen

Ghent is a lively university city with a medieval heart. Along the Graslei and Korenlei quays, guildhalls of stone and brick line the river Leie, and close by rise three great towers: St Nicholas' Church, the Belfry and St Bavo's Cathedral.

In St Bavo's hangs the Ghent Altarpiece, the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, painted by the Van Eyck brothers and completed in 1432. Across the old town, the Gravensteen is the moated castle of the Counts of Flanders, built around 1180; climb to its battlements for a view over the rooftops.

Ghent is about half an hour from Brussels by train and quieter than Bruges. Take a boat trip on the Leie and return to the Graslei at dusk, when the buildings are lit.