Ghent is one of Europe’s most underrated medieval cities — bigger than Bruges, more lived-in than Bruges, and arguably more beautiful along its canal waterfront. This ghent walking tour companion post pairs with “Ghent, Belgium Walking Tour (4k Ultra HD 60fps) – With Captions” by the channel BookingHunterTV, a captioned walk through the city’s historic centre that covers the Graslei and Korenlei quays, three great medieval monuments rising almost side by side, and the moated Gravensteen Castle whose stone walls have stood since 1180. The combination of waterway reflections, Gothic stonework, and cobblestone lanes makes this one of the most visually rich walks in Northern Europe.
About This Walking Tour
BookingHunterTV’s captioned 4K 60fps tour moves through the historic centre of Ghent, offering on-screen text to identify the landmarks and buildings as they appear. The walk takes in the Graslei and Korenlei quays along the Leie River, where the facades of medieval guild houses — many dating from the 12th through 17th centuries — reflect in the water below. This is considered among the most photographed waterfronts in Belgium and the broader comparison with Bruges is apt, though Ghent is a living student city rather than a preserved tourist showcase.
From the waterfront, the tour passes three of the city’s most important medieval buildings: Saint Nicholas Church (Gothic, from around 1220), the Belfry of Ghent (a UNESCO-listed tower completed in 1380), and Saint Bavo Cathedral, which houses Jan and Hubert van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece. The route continues through the Vrijdagmarkt Friday Market square, with its statue of medieval civic hero Jacob van Artevelde, and reaches Gravensteen Castle, the Count’s castle with its intact moat and stone keep. The captions throughout the video help viewers identify the specific buildings and their histories as the walk unfolds.
Highlights of Ghent
Gravensteen — the Castle of the Counts — is one of the most complete medieval castles in Belgium. Built in 1180 by Philip of Alsace, Count of Flanders, on his return from the Crusades, it was modelled after the crusader fortifications he had seen in the Holy Land. The castle has served as a court, prison, and textile factory over the centuries; today visitors can walk its towers and walls and look out over the rooftops of the city. The moat surrounding the castle still holds water, making it a dramatic presence in the urban landscape.
Saint Bavo Cathedral is home to the Ghent Altarpiece, a polyptych painting completed by Jan and Hubert van Eyck in 1432. It is widely considered one of the most important works in the history of Western art and has been called the painting that launched the Renaissance in northern Europe. The work was stolen by Napoleon, looted by the Nazis, and is the most frequently stolen artwork in history — it has been recovered each time and now resides in a purpose-built display space in the cathedral’s baptistery.
The Belfry of Ghent, standing 91 metres tall, was the city’s watchtower and civic symbol. It held the city’s charters and privileges, including the Great Privilege granted by emperors. Together with the belltowers of Bruges and Tournai it is part of the UNESCO “Belfries of Belgium and France” inscription. A dragon weathervane atop the belfry has been a symbol of Ghent for centuries.
A Brief History of Ghent
In the 14th century Ghent was the second largest city in northern Europe after Paris, with a population approaching 60,000 people. Its wealth came from the cloth trade: raw wool imported from England was woven into fine textiles here and sold across the continent. This commercial power made Ghent’s citizens fiercely protective of their civic rights, and the city has a long history of conflict with its overlords.
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, was born in Ghent in 1500 in what is now the Prinsenhof palace complex. Despite being the most powerful monarch of his age, he had a difficult relationship with his birthplace — after a rebellion, he imposed punishing conditions on the city in 1540 and forced the Ghent city leaders to walk through the streets barefoot in penance. The event gave rise to the nickname “Stroppendragers” (noose-carriers) for Ghent’s citizens, still used with pride today.
The city’s industrial revolution in the early 19th century, centred on cotton spinning, made it one of the first industrial cities in continental Europe. Ghent University was founded in 1817, and the city’s large student population — around 80,000 in a city of 260,000 — gives it a vitality that distinguishes it from purely historic centres. Ghent’s historic city centre was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018.
Practical Tips
Belgium uses the euro. Both Dutch (Flemish) and French are official languages nationally, but Ghent is a Flemish city and Dutch is the primary language; English is widely spoken. The historic centre is compact and fully walkable. Ghent-Sint-Pieters station connects the city to Brussels (30 minutes by train) and Bruges (25 minutes). From the station, trams serve the city centre. The Gentse Feesten festival in July is one of the largest free street festivals in Europe, filling the entire city centre for ten days. The Ghent Altarpiece in Saint Bavo Cathedral requires a timed ticket; booking in advance is recommended during peak season.
Watch & Explore More
The BookingHunterTV video above is an ideal way to preview every major landmark before visiting — the captions add helpful context throughout. For more walking tours of the Low Countries and beyond, visit @walkingtoursvideoscom. Related walks worth exploring include Bruges and its medieval canals and Brussels from the Grand Place to Ixelles.