Page 116 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Brussels Bruges Ghent & Antwerp

114  BEY OND BRUSSELS

P Groot Vleeshuis walls of Het Gravensteen (or
Groentenmarkt 7. Map E1. the Castle of the Counts)
Tel (09) 223 23 24. Open 10am–6pm eloquently recall the unsettled
Tue–Sun. Closed Mon. = 0 and violent context of Ghent’s
∑ grootvleeshuis.be early medieval past. Parts of
The “Great Meat Hall” was built the castle date back to the
in 1407–19, and its long, low late 1100s, but most are later
interior space still reflects its additions. Up to the 14th
basic, original purpose as a century, the castle was Ghent’s
covered butchers’ market, main military stronghold, and
complete with ancient beams from then until the late 1700s, it
and wonky flooring. Into this was used as the city’s jail. Later,
space a large, modern glass box it became a cotton mill.
has been ingeniously inserted From the gatehouse, a long
to serve as a centre to promote and heavily fortified tunnel
East Flemish food: on the one leads up to the courtyard,
side, a small restaurant serves which is overseen by two large
good-value Flemish dishes; on buildings, the count’s medieval
the other is a delicatessen. residence and the earlier keep. Het Gravensteen, a classic medieval castle
Arrows guide visitors round the complete with turrets and torture instruments
interior of both buildings. In the
upper rooms there is a spine- pretty group of whitewashed
chilling collection of medieval almshouses, “The House of
torture instruments. Alijn”, surrounding a grassy
courtyard. Although mainly
E Huis van Alijn 16th-century, the almshouses
Kraanlei 65. Map E1. Tel (09) 235 3800. were originally founded in 1363
Open 11am–5:30pm Tue–Sat, 10am– as a children’s hospital – not out
5:30pm Sun. Closed Mon, 1 Jan, 25 of philanthropy, but as an act of
Dec. & = ∑huisvanalijn.be penance by the Rijm family for
The original covered butchers’ market This is one of Belgium’s best the murder of two members of
of the Groot Vleeshuis folk museums, graphically the rival Alijn family.
evoking daily life in the past
P Dulle Griet through a huge collection of P The Patershol
Groot Kanonplein (off Vrijdagmarkt). fascinating arti facts – dolls Map E1.
Map F1. and other toys, games, clothes, North of the Kraanlei are the
This giant cannon, furniture, kitchen ware, funerary quaint little lanes and low
sitting on the mementoes, as well brick houses of the Patershol,
embank ment of as complete shops a district that developed in
the River Leie, is and craftsmen’s the 17th century to house
famous in the folk- workshops. There the city’s weavers. This once
lore of Ghent. Cast in is also a puppet down-at-heel area underwent
about 1450, 5 m (16 ft The Dulle Griet cannon theatre, which extensive refurbishment in
5 in) long and weighing 16 presents the 1980s and is now one of
tonnes, it could fire stone cannon- plays (in Dutch) throughout the trendiest parts of town,
balls the size of a beachball. It was the year. The museum is set out with upmarket restaurants,
brought to Ghent in 1578, during in a sequence of rooms in a cafés and shops.
a period of conflict with Spain.
Dulle Griet means “Mad Meg”, a
legen dary medieval character
who embo died mad, violent
frenzy and disorder. It is painted
in its original red, reflec ting its
other nickname “Groten Rooden
Duyvele” (Great Red Devil).
+ Het Gravensteen
Sint-Veerleplein. Map E1. Tel (09) 225
9306. Open Apr–Oct: 10am–6pm
daily; Nov–Mar: 9am–5pm daily.
Closed 1 Jan, 24, 25 & 31 Dec. &
∑gravensteen.stad.gent
Once the seat of the counts
of Flanders, the imposing stone The Patershol’s 17th-century buildings which now house shops and cafés

114-115_EW_Brussels.indd 114 10/01/17 10:54 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm