Ghent

What I did and saw:
Ghent Christmas Market-
During the Christmas season Ghent puts on a wonderful Christmas Market in their city center. It contains a number of different food stalls as well as places to buy gifts for others. While at the Christmas market I was also able to see both the Korenmarkt and the Saint Nicholas Church. It is a beautiful and festive place to walk through, and they even had things like a swanparade.

Citadel Park-
The Citadel Park in Ghent is relatively close to the Ghent Saint Peters Station. Although the weather wasn’t great, it was a nice park to walk through and spend some time in. I can imagine that it would be an excellent place to be on a bright summer day.​

Beautiful buildings-
I was able to see a number of beautiful buildings while in Ghent. I was able to see the Saint Nicholas Church at the Christmas market in the city center. I was also able to see St. Bavo's Cathedral (Sint-Baafskathedraal), which is located across the street from Peaberry Coffee (see below). Additionally I was able to check out the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Sint-Pieters. Just walking through the city of Ghent was a great experience.

Where I ate and drank:
​OR Coffeebar-
OR Coffeebar has a few different locations in Ghent and Brussels, and I visited their Backstay location in an area that seemed to be a univeristy area. They offered excellent coffee as well as some really good food options.

Peaberry Coffeebar-
Located across the street from St. Bavo’s Cathedral, Peaberry Coffee was another nice place to get some excellent coffee. It is a small, cozy space with good food options also.

Swiss Sandwich Raclette (in Christmas Market)-
Racelette sandwiches are made from melting cheese that is shaved directly onto bread. They are very tasty, and the one I had at a stand in the Ghent Christmas market did not disappoint.

Ghent Gruut Brewery (in Christmas Market)-
​Gruut is something that was historically used in place of hops when making beer. One of the few places in the world that still uses this process is the Ghent Gruut Brewery. While I was in Ghent the Gruut Brewery was closed, but fortunately they had a stand open in the Christmas market, and I was able to try some of their creations (which were very tasty).

Where I stayed and How I got around:
​Jacques Brel Youth Hostel-
When I visited Ghent I was staying at Jacques Brel Youth Hostel in Brussels.  To see more about it check out my post on Brussels.  I traveled by train to both Ghent and Bruges on different days while staying in Brussels.  Once there I walked to get around and take in the sights.

My favorite thing:
My favorite thing I experienced during my time in Ghent was the Christmas market. Also, the parade of ducks was one of the more unique things I have seen.

My least favorite thing:
Ghent has a graffiti street that I had heard good things about, but I was a bit let down by it when compared to the graffiti in cities like Lisbon, Bristol, and especially Miami.
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For next time:
​I would love to spend more time at the magical Christmas market Ghent. However it would also be interesting to see what Ghent is like in the summer.