Ghent – On the Scheldt River

Ghent never got the memo that the Middle Ages were supposed to end. In the 13th and 14th centuries this Flemish city grew rich and powerful on the cloth trade, produced Jan and Hubert van Eyck’s staggering Ghent Altarpiece, and was rebellious enough that even Charles V—born here—spent years trying to humble it. When the old trade routes faded it didn’t freeze in amber; it became a textile city, then a university town. Today the three towers still dominate the skyline, the Leie still slides past the old guildhalls, and Ghent feels less like a preserved relic than a city the Middle Ages simply decided to keep living in.

This city is a must see. We were shocked by the number of remarkable buildings on the river. Like Venice of the north!