Amidst medieval towers and bodies of water

As soon as you step out of the museum, the shift in time is instantaneous. Within a few steps, you find yourself standing before the Gravensteen, the imposing Castle of the Counts of Flanders, which seems to rise straight out of the water. From here, you can venture into the labyrinthine streets of the Patershol, a former weavers’ quarter now a gastronomic mecca, where the cobbled alleyways are home to cosy bistros and independent shops. As the northern light begins to cast a golden glow over the rooftops, the route heads straight for the rival quays of Graslei and Korenlei, so named because they formed the beating heart of medieval river trade and the centre of economic and political power for the merchants’ guilds. Sitting on the quays of the old harbour, gazing at the façades of the ancient guilds reflected in the River Leie, is a must for every traveller in Ghent. Here you can soak up the city’s extraordinary youthful energy, punctuated by the chatter of university students and the clinking of glasses of local beer.