Page 136 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

134  bel gium and l uxembourg region b y region

y Street-by-Street: Ghent

as a tourist destination, the Flemish city of ghent (gent in
dutch) has long been overshadowed by its neighbour, bruges.
in part, this reflects their divergent histories. The success of the
cloth trade during the middle ages was followed by a period
of stagnation for bruges, while ghent became a major indus­
trial centre in the 19th century. The resulting pollution coated
the city’s antique buildings in layers of grime from its factories.
in the 1980s, ghent initiated a restoration programme. The
city’s medieval buildings were cleaned, industrial sites were
tidied up and the canals were cleared. Today, the intricately Het Gravensteen
carved stonework of its churches and old buildings, as well Ghent’s centre is dominated
as the city’s excellent museums and stern, forbidding castle by the thick stone walls and
give the centre its character. imposing gatehouse of its
ancient Castle of the Counts.

. The Design
Museum Gent
This elegant
19th-century dining
room is just one of K r a a n l e i
many charming period
rooms in the decor ative
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arts museum. The v e e r l e T
collection is housed in b u r G S T r a a T p l e i n
an 18th-century
mansion and covers art l a n G e M u n
and design from the
1600s to the present. b
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To Ghent St-Pieters
and Stadsmuseum
. Graslei (STAM)
One of Ghent’s most picturesque
streets, the Graslei overlooks the Korenmarkt
River Leie on the site of the city’s This busy street was once the corn
medieval har bour. It is lined with market, the commer cial centre of
perfectly preserved guildhouses; the city since the Middle Ages.
some date from the 12th century. Today, it is lined with popular cafés.
For hotels and restaurants see p267 and pp284–5
134-135_EW_Belgium.indd 134 16/10/14 3:32 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 24th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm