Ghent or Bruges - Which to Choose?
- Lucy and the lens
- Sep 23, 2018
- 4 min read
Living in Cologne, Germany, it's great being close enough to Belgium to visit it in a weekend by train. We visit whenever we've had enough of Cologne's kolsch beer - yes, it's cold and refreshing and all that, but it just doesn't have the variety of Belgian beers! We've visited both Ghent and Bruges a few times now, in different seasons, so here's a post about Ghent vs Bruges!
Choose Bruges!
Bruges can be busy. It can be expensive. But it's always beautiful, no matter the season.
Our first visit was in November: the city was freezing but also decked out in pretty autumn colours and far less busy than in the summer. Walking the streets beside the canals and crossing from bridge to bridge, we often found ourselves alone. We found a restaurant that was perfect for both of us - Poules Moules - serving chicken (poules) for me, and mussels (moules) for Patrick! The decor inside was so warm and cosy after the chill outside. (Sadly, we revisited this restaurant in May and couldn't get anywhere close to getting a table, despite it having a large patio area set out - it was that busy!)
We also spent a relaxing hour on a boat ride of the canals, which is a nice way to see the town from a new perspective. Belgium is as dog-friendly as Germany (read: very) so we were even able to take our puppy, Toby, on the boat with us! He didn't seem too impressed by it, though.
We discovered the Belgian beer, Kwak, in Bruges too, in a lovely little pub hidden down a mysterious alleyway, called De Garre. We also loved T' Brugs Beertje, because one Belgian pub is not enough!
In the summer, the quiet streets of winter become much more crowded, but there are still pockets of calm to be found. One of them is the Beguinage Ten Wijngaerde and the surrounding area: the grounds of this convent are so quiet (there's even a sign telling people to keep it down!), and outside you can see swans swimming in the weeping-willow flanked river or even, as we saw, nesting.
Choose Ghent!
There is a special place in my heart for Ghent. It first appealed to us as a cheaper alternative to Bruges - a place to sample Belgian beers all day by the water. But it's a destination in its own right - everywhere you turn there is beautiful architecture, there's a grand church or cathedral on almost every corner, and all with a fraction of Bruges' crowds.
My favourite spot in Ghent is along the quieter end of the river at night. The river that runs through Ghent is a lively and buzzing place flanked on both sides by restaurants, frites stalls and people hanging out on the banks. But if you continue walking, you get to a quiet street that's almost deserted at night. I love taking photos of the higgledy-piggledy buildings reflected on the water.
Another favourite spot is the famous Waterhuis aan de Bierkant. It's very popular thanks to its position next to the water, but if you install yourself there early on, the atmosphere is great and the beer is delicious! They welcome dogs, too - although ours would rather be doing anything but sitting in a Belgian pub, clearly!
Ghent is home to our favourite restaurant - Cochon de Luxe. I've written a separate post about why we love it so much here. In short, it's the most fun you can have at a restaurant without resorting to gimmicks!
As in Bruges, a boat tour around Ghent is a great way to see the city - even if only to scout out which riverside pub to try next! They are a little cheaper than in Bruges, too. While we were there, filming for a period drama was in progress, and our boat ride took us through the middle of the riverside set!
Ghent is also the place to try some classic Belgian treats. Belgian frites are a must - done properly, they're fried in meat fat rather than just oil to give them a bit of flavour, and then paired with generous amounts of a sauce of your choice. We made the mistake of ordering a 'family size' cone on one occasion - it was larger than our heads.
Another recent discovery was the cuberdon, a cone-shaped confection that has a firm jelly outer layer and a gooey, fruit-juice based inside. A proper cuberdon should be really gloopy inside, almost runny, rather than jelly-like. They are served from carts in the squares of Ghent - my favourite is Bobonne Cuberdon. The traditional flavour is the deep purple violet (which was good news for me because I love violet-flavoured anything!) but they come in all sorts of fruity flavours, plus liquorice.
My honest recommendation when visiting Ghent is just to wander about and get lost. There are specific sights, yes - the Gravensteen (a medieval castle) is worth a photo, and every square is picture-perfect, but you shouldn't overlook the rest of the city. No matter where you end up, it's difficult to find an ugly street here!
And don't forget to go wandering at night - I had so much fun with night photography here. It is one of the most well-lit cities I've come across - the lights are warm but not harsh, bringing out the details of every church, castle and river house.
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