What is Ghent really like?

Hello,

there was an article in the Times today about Ghent. Can you provide me with more information please, I am looking to visit end of November and not sure whether to stay in Ghent (as I read its It’s a bit of a chameleon. It can do all that medieval canalside charm as well as its tourist-thronged neighbour, Bruges. But it’s also a hotbed of gin- and techno-fuelled modern revelry, sustained by a big student population and a rebellious tradition) or in Bruges. Ghent sounds like a real hotspot.

I am looking for good food and drink, good nightlife and a chance to visit Antwerp as I hear the shopping is very good there. I will just be there for the weekend.

Thanks!

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Ghent is a student town, the student population alone is about as big as the entire population of Brugge. It is a modern working city rather than a preserved medieval backwater, so of course it is much more lively than Brugge. However, I am far from sure that an outsider and non-student is likely to find their way easily to any %26quot;gin- and techno-fuelled modern revelry%26quot;. I%26#39;m also surprised to learn that gin is a student%26#39;s drink of choice (even if they meant genever..).

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Why not stay in Antwerp and visit Ghent on a day-trip?

Good shops, restaurants, bars, museums etc.

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Ghent is utterly wonderful. I%26#39;m not sure how old you are - do you want the medievalness or the modernness? You can pick and choose from both. I lean towards the former, myself and frequent the more traditional bars. If you%26#39;re going at the weekend all the students will have gone home for the weekend. Can%26#39;t speak about nightlife other than the bars that are open til 3 (not a clubbing person!), but there is plenty of good food, drink and shopping. You can choose from jazz at the Hotsy Totsy, kitsch at Pink Flamingos or Gainsbar, indie and rock at Backdoor or naff 80s at Brouwzaele. Try viswaterzooi at Georges or Bij Wijzen den Zot, and a good brunch at Pain Perdu. Walk along the canals, gape at the Koren/Gras lei and the Patershol, visit St-Baafs, have a walk along the canal past the Bijlokesmuseum and up to the Citadelpark,then back to the centre past St Pieters and Vooruit. Have an oyster, check out the flower market and listen to the brass band on Kouter on Sunday morning. Chat with the locals - their English is excellent (but do try and learn a few basic phrases in Dutch!).

You%26#39;ll love it. Trust me.

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Ghent is a real town with 240.000 inhabitants and 60.000 students. Only a small part of it%26#39;s population depends on tourism. So you are about to meet more real people and if you get a smile, it will be a real smile. Not a commercial one from someone working in the tourist industry ...

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Ony you recommend a midweek break or a weekend break? I have visited places that are pretty dead on a Sunday and even a Monday as in places in France?

Are hotels generally cheaper at weekends?