Kim Rahn is the managing editor of The Korea Times. Since joining the company in 2003, she has covered various beats including the presidential office, Seoul city government, the Bank of Korea and the tourism industry. In 2014, she won the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for her coverage of the ordeals of migrant women in Korea.
Ultimate Middle Ages experience in Ghent
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Guild houses are lined along the Leie River in Ghent, Belgium. A boat trip on the river is a good way to experience the Middle Ages atmosphere of the city. / Korea Times photos by Kim Rahn
By Kim Rahn
Belgian cities of Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp sparkle with hidden charms
By Kim Rahn
This reporter has something to confess. I didn’t want to write an article about the Belgian city of Ghent which I recently visited. For this place, which Lonely Planet described as “Belgium’s best kept secret,” I wanted it to remain a secret, so I could enjoy the beautiful city next time without being irritated by a flood of tourists.
Yes, I know that would not be fair. I also think it is pity that the charming city does not get the “wows” it deserves because people do not know much about it.
So, here is the story of Ghent and other attractive cities in Belgium ― Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp.
Ghent, back to the Middle Ages
Ghent, or Gent according to which language you speak in Belgium, a country where Flemish, French and German are all used, was a key city in Europe during the 11th-15th centuries.
It is quite small where you can look around its major attractions over several hours of walking, but it flourished with merchant guilds and religious attractions in the times when religion was the center of everyday life.
Beer is a specialty in Belgium. A beer shop in Bruges posts a sign that read: “Save water! Drink Belgian beer!”
When walking on the cobbled streets, most striking of all are three tall towers ― St. Bavo’s Cathedral, the Belfry and St. Nicholas’ Church. In a row, they create a medieval skyline with a typically Gothic style.
The 95-meter-tall Belfry is the tallest belfry in Belgium and also on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. At the observatory on the top of it, visitors can have a 360-degree view of the city.
St. Bavo’s Cathedral is famous for an altarpiece called “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.” Created by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, the paintings on folding panels show an exquisite description of people, showing extreme details on those people whether or not they, including Adam and Eve, were real.
But what’s more impressive than the majestic cathedrals are smaller buildings at Graslei and Korenlei, former merchant ports.
The buildings were the guild houses of various merchants and craftsmen in medieval times. They run along the bank of the Leie River, which flows through Ghent. The buildings and the river present a perfect view of medieval Europe.
Grand Place in Brussels is especially beautiful at night with lights from the surrounding buildings.
A boat trip on the river is a must-do; guides on the boats also give explanations about the buildings along the river in at least three languages.
The classical image is not the only one Ghent has, as it has some modern and unique features. One of them is a graffiti alley ― the only place where the city allows street art. Entering the alley and watching the colorful paintings, it seems like you are traveling in time from the Middle Ages into the 21st century.
Hungry? There are two options ― one is to experience fare from the city’s past, and another is to eat while enjoying the city’s modernity. For the former, visit Groot Vleeshuis, or the Great Butchers’ Hall, where meat was sold during the Middle Ages, and have typical Ghent delicacies. For the latter, go to the Brasserie Pakhuis that was selected as a “Bib Gourmand” in the Michelin Guide 2015 for the ninth straight year.
A man polishes a diamond at a diamond shop in Antwerp, the global hub of diamond trade.
Brussels, eccentric center of Europe
The capital of Belgium is also the capital of Europe, and hosts the institutions of the European Union. But it is far from being a solemn place, it’s rather eccentric.
Belgium is the home of famous cartoon characters such as the Smurfs and Tintin, and in Brussels visitors can see walls painted with comics. The paintings are well blended in the buildings, so finding these walls is like a treasure hunt.
What visitors to the city look for first might be the Manneken-Pis, one of Brussels’ most famous landmarks. However, the small statue of a peeing boy located on a corner of a street can be disappointing, as it is so small. Still, it is one of symbols of the city and visitors can see a variation of the statue at shops around it, such as a boy eating a waffle.
A block away from the Manneken-Pis is the Grand Place, which was listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. Buildings surrounding the square, from the City Hall to guild houses, present breathtaking beauty, with different architectural styles that are well harmonized. It is recommended to visit the place at night, as lights from the buildings create an almost surreal atmosphere.
Many chocolate shops are gathered near the place, as Belgium is famous for quality chocolate. Also nearby are mussel restaurants, where a perfect combination of mussel gratin and frites, or French fries, and beer are on offer.
Historic and romantic Bruges
Bruges, or Brugge, is also a city of water like Ghent. Here visitors can embark on a boat trip to look around the city, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
There is a Beguinage, a semi-monastic community of women called Beguines. White houses are situated on a large garden, offering a chance for a peaceful stroll. On riverbanks outside of the Beguinage, dozens of swans swim by or sit on the banks. The peaceful Beguinage and the elegant swans make Bruges a romantic destination.
Beer is something that visitors to Belgium cannot miss, and Bruges has a brewery named Halve Maan, the city’s only brewery. A guided tour is available about how they have made quality beer for six generations since 1856. A glass of beer after the tour is the highlight.
Antwerp, sparkling city of diamond
Antwerp is unique in that it has both classical and modern aspects.
In the old center of the city stands the Cathedral of Our Lady. The construction of the 123-meter-tall cathedral took 169 years in total. It holds masterpieces by Peter Paul Rubens, the famous painter. It is where the “Descent from the Cross” by Rubens hangs, the painting which appears in the novel “A Dog of Flanders.”
The new center provides a whole new focus for the city. It is home to Belgium’s high-fashion and design, with modern, luxury shopping malls, department stores and boutiques.
Antwerp is also a global hub for the diamond trade. More than 80 percent of the world’s rough diamonds pass through small streets here, known as the Diamond Quarter, for cutting, polishing and trading. About 380 workshops are gathered, as well as diamond exchanges.
Tips for travel
City Card
Each city offers its own City Card, a pre-paid pass that allows admission to major tourist attractions, as well as the use of public transportation.
How to go there
There is no direct flight between Korea and Belgium. As Belgium is located between France and the Netherlands, it is ideal to fly to France, travel by rail or road into Belgium, and take a return flight from the Netherlands; or vice versa.
Air France-KLM offers that connection: it operates between Incheon and Paris, and between Incheon and Amsterdam.