The factor that stunned me most about visiting Ghent was that extra households haven’t found it already – as a result of from its fort to its canals, chocolate, road artwork and historical past, there are such a lot of issues to do in Ghent with youngsters.
assessment keep/comprises affiliate hyperlinks*
Round half an hour from Brussels by prepare, Ghent – or Gent to make use of the Flemish spelling – can be simply over half an hour from Bruges, so it’s not solely a implausible place for a metropolis break in Belgium with youngsters, it’s a terrific base to discover the nation extra broadly.
And whereas I’ve been to each Brussels and Bruges earlier than, Ghent completely received me over: in case you’re making an attempt to determine whether or not to go to Bruges or Ghent with youngsters, I’d choose the latter (nonetheless fairly the previous is). Though see in case you can slot in a day journey to Bruges as effectively, as we did.
Gravensteen fort
Simply one my daughter’s favorite issues to do in Ghent, the Fort of the Counts is simply on the sting of the historic coronary heart of town – head round to see it mirrored within the water earlier than you cross by means of the stone arch to get in.
There are shows in a few of the rooms as you wander round, together with just a few probabilities to get arms on, however what actually made the go to was the audio information, narrated by an area comic, Wouter Deprez.
As we wandered by means of draughty stone chambers and out onto the roof of 1 tower, earlier than strolling across the partitions, he instructed tales of the fort’s inhabitants, from the world’s first notable knights to the person behind the Gravensteen.
Alongside the way in which, we found a sword greater than my daughter (in all probability greater than me – how may anybody raise that?!), the invention of the chimney, views down onto Ghent itself, and a harp begging to be strummed.
However the spotlight for my daughter was the most recent in twelfth century open air bathrooms: two holes dropping into the moat and an image painted by the audioguide of the assembled peasantry applauding from the opposite facet of the water when their lord wanted to make use of them.
For those who’re visiting with youthful youngsters, there are one or two moments afterward within the audio information with extra ugly tales and one or two ‘naughty phrases’ as I instructed my intrigued seven-year-old as we skipped one small part of commentary.
There’s additionally a torture chamber, though it’s straightforward to bypass that room, and it’s dealt with very effectively – one of many rooms earlier than, with a very nasty medieval interrogation gadget was extra express however youngsters who can deal with Horrible Histories usually tend to lap it up than get nightmares.
We got a Gent Metropolis Card for our go to, which included free entry into the fort – entry can be free for kids underneath 12, and is just a few euros for teenagers, together with the audioguide. You can also purchase tickets on-line prematurely
MSK Gent – Museum of Effective Arts
Even when your youngsters don’t usually take pleasure in visiting artwork galleries, I’d make an exception for MSK Gent, which has some impressively family-friendly actions to assist take pleasure in its 40 galleries.
Residence to large names together with Previous Masters from Hieronymus Bosch and Rubens to van Dijk, plus extra fashionable artists together with Rodin and Magritte – to call just a few – there are work from the 14th to twentieth centuries, in addition to different artworks, together with sculpture.
Once we visited, Ghent was celebrating Jan Van Eyck, whose well-known Ghent Altarpiece – in any other case often called the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb – has been on show within the cathedral for hundreds of years. And it was the right instance of learn how to make artwork partaking and accessible for households, with the particular exhibition together with a booklet for teenagers with a stamp path, concepts for them to attract, objects to identify and extra.
My daughter had taken pens and paper to hone her personal inventive skills… with employees solely asking very politely that she didn’t level her felt ideas AT the artwork work. As my blood ran chilly on the very thought, I promised faithfully that she wouldn’t.
There’s an audio information for adults plus a separate model for teenagers – each simply have to be pointed on the symbols on the wall to activate every part.
The youngsters’ model is marked by a pigeon image: it was solely about two days later that my daughter corrected my assumption {that a} pigeon narrated it – apparently Van Eyck himself was doing the commentary.
So whereas we moved by means of the rooms barely quicker than I might have achieved alone, it was at the very least partly as a result of my daughter was eager to see what was subsequent quite than bored and longing to flee.
It’s an introduction too to simply how vital Flanders was within the Center Ages, particularly Ghent, when the Dukes of Burgundy dominated.
All in all, a go to to MSK with youngsters is a beautiful mixture of getting them to work together with the artworks and different items on show, inspiring them to get inventive.
Entry to the everlasting assortment is free for underneath 18s and included within the CityCard Gent for adults.
Comply with the road artwork path
Inform my daughter we’re going for a stroll round a metropolis and the boredom units in earlier than she places her footwear on. Inform her we’ve bought a path to comply with and he or she’s first out of the door – and when it’s quirky road artwork, that’s a lot the higher.
Go to Gent has put collectively a sequence of road artwork trails – in addition to the Sorry Not Sorry pageant – which takes you throughout town recognizing items by completely different artists. There’s a child-friendly road artwork stroll, a metropolis stroll and Van Eyck road artwork stroll amongst others.
On a distinctly windy gray February day, we caught to recognizing round half a dozen of them not removed from the fort and the Design Museum, strolling across the Patershol space and again into the centre.
It’s a good way to see greater than the picturesque historic coronary heart, and it’s straightforward to wander alongside the canalside for a part of it too – a few of our favourites have been by Cee Pil, a mix of two animals collectively together with one which was half bear, half lion.
However the place else may you uncover a melting rhino, ROA’s big black rabbits and Bart Smeets’ graffiti mural of the Ghent altarpiece, trying as if the facet of the constructing is being peeled away to disclose the secrets and techniques inside – and that was solely a small style.
One factor you received’t discover a lot of is graffiti, versus road artwork. And that’s as a result of it’s all tucked away in Graffiti Avenue – Werregarenstraat, or the ‘tolerance zone’ of the map.
Right here, something goes so you would discover an surprising treasure, or a string of brightly colored tags: from time to time, it’s painted over to offer a clean canvas.
Take a ship tour
While you’re visiting a metropolis set on canals, a ship tour needs to be on the record – we’ve achieved them in Amsterdam and Copenhagen and had it on our record for our day journey to Bruges too.
Not simply a great way to relaxation any drained legs, I really like sitting again and watching the outdated buildings from the water and in Ghent, you may comply with a loop which takes you across the metropolis, previous Graslei and across the Gravensteen fort.
There are hop on, hop off variations (together with a water taxi throughout the summer time months) though as Ghent isn’t big, many of the boat excursions solely final round 40-50 minutes.
In February, after we visited, a few of the lined boats have been nonetheless working – however as one in all this spring’s storms approached, we determined to postpone our personal deliberate boat journey to a different time.
You may as well purchase tickets for the completely different boat journeys on websites like Viator whereas Get Your Information features a 40-minute journey in addition to a 50-minute cruise, each with commentary. A ship journey can be included within the Gent CityCard.
Stroll across the outdated city
Ghent is the form of metropolis the place you must make time to walk round. It’s very walkable – we have been staying barely exterior the centre, so the buses got here in very helpful to get there and to MSK, in addition to to and from the prepare station, however in any other case we simply wandered wherever we wished to go.
As a result of it’s very very fairly: within the centre, you may spot the tall medieval buildings from town’s heyday nevertheless it’s nonetheless a residing metropolis quite than frozen in a bubble.
Bikes whizz alongside the cobbled streets (so be careful!) and that road artwork provides it a little bit of an edge, when you’re as prone to see college students hanging out as vacationers.
We ambled up the canalside from MSK and town museum in direction of Graslei in addition to wandering by means of the outdated streets, however frankly you would simply choose a path and stroll.
One factor to not miss is a stroll throughout St Michael’s Bridge, the place you may see the three towers of St Nicholas’ church, the Belfry and the cathedral in a line, earlier than heading alongside Graslei and into the Korenmarkt.
We noticed a person blowing big bubbles right here, which entertained my daughter as I gazed on the structure, and you’ll simply choose up a waffle to go to maintain you fuelled up as you wander.
Climb the belfry
You’ll spot the Belfry of Ghent – or Het Belfort – reverse the cathedral, and even in case you determine to not climb up, look out for the dragon on the very high.
A whopping 91m tall, it was town watchtower from the fifteenth century and guarded a few of Ghent’s treasures as effectively, though the massive alarm bell which it as soon as housed is now on Emile Braunplein.
Wander previous on a Sunday morning, between 11am and midday and you’ll nonetheless hear the carillion ringing out. There’s a Little Information for teenagers underneath eight in case you are going inside too.
For those who don’t fancy climbing over 350 steps to see the view, there’s a raise from the primary ground as effectively.
You should purchase skip-the-line tickets on-line prematurely, and it’s free for under-12s, solely a few Euros for under-18s. Included within the CityCard for Ghent.
Go to St Bavo’s cathedral
Residence to the well-known Ghent Altarpiece, the cathedral itself is astonishing – big hovering arched ceiling, lovely embellished facet chapels and a really intricately embellished pulpit.
I used to be a bit unhappy to find that the whale which was as soon as in show within the cathedral appears to have moved on, nevertheless it’s an excellent constructing to stroll round.
It’s free to enter, and other than Sunday morning when it’s closed aside from worship, you may wander in at any level throughout opening hours.
There’s an additional payment to see the Van Eyck panels, and a Ghent altarpiece AR tour on provide, however in any other case it’s free.
Wander alongside the canals
Ghent’s canals date again to its medieval heyday when a water route from town’s river to the ocean was important for the commerce between Flanders and the remainder of Europe.
Lately, there are extra pleasure boats cruising alongside the waterways nevertheless it’s one of many issues which makes town such a beautiful place to wander round.
Whether or not you’re taking one of many metropolis boat journeys, following the road artwork path or simply fancy ambling round within the sunshine, take a while to comply with the water, cross over little bridges and be careful for the surprising canal-front buildings and quirky particulars.
Stadsmuseum – STAM Ghent metropolis museum
To get a way of Ghent’s lengthy historical past, pay a go to to town museum within the south of town, not removed from the MSK artwork gallery.
Set within the buildings of a 14th century abbey and seventeenth century convent, in addition to a contemporary extension, it’s a wander by means of time as effectively.
As we didn’t have lengthy to spend, we turned down the audio information – there’s no particular one geared toward youngsters right here – however this might need been a mistake as there are restricted indicators in English.
EDIT: There’s now a youngsters’s path accessible since our journey, designed to make it extra interactive for youthful guests
There have been few notable child-friendly points although: there’s a Lego desk on the finish to create your individual buildings and some extra interactive sections.
However because it’s free with the Gent card, it’s value a fast go searching – for adults, it provides you a great background in regards to the metropolis from its early days on.
For teenagers, there are sufficient highlights to be value a wander too particularly on a wet day in Ghent, beginning with an enormous aerial map of town on the ground, which you’ll be able to stroll on whereas sporting protecting overshoes.
There’s some royal historical past, in addition to a historic tomb moved to the outdated refectory, and numerous shows of things starting from merchandise made in Ghent to royal portraits, and a copy of the Ghent Altarpiece too, for an opportunity to see the entire thing shut up.
Among the finest rooms was the give attention to the work’s lacking panel: stolen within the 30s (together with one other which was recovered) it has by no means been discovered.
The room has headphones to take heed to the story and is about up nearly like a recreation of the police investigation – one part the place I might have fortunately hung round for longer if we’d had likelihood.
Entry is free for under-18s, and included within the Ghent Metropolis Card
Design museum
You don’t need to be a design aficionado to take pleasure in wandering across the Design Museum in Ghent. Briefly closed, as a result of reopen in 2026
And whereas the short-term exhibitions and important assortment are prone to enchantment extra to teenagers and adults than youthful youngsters, they’ve give you a intelligent solution to make it child-friendly: a Playmobil path across the museum.
Just a few of the rooms have been closed whereas we visited, however armed together with her booklet and a pencil, my daughter scampered by means of the three completely different flooring (and a few different rooms) searching down the little collectible figurines to win her prize of a badge.
My husband, in the meantime, bought to walk extra slowly, absorbing a few of the implausible items on show – and a few of the ornate ornament and brilliant colors of the retro 50s items enchantment to all ages.
One other nice possibility in case you’re visiting Ghent with youngsters in winter: it labored properly as a cease as we adopted a part of the road artwork path.
Free for under-18s and with the Ghent CityCard.
Eat cuberdons
Tasting this conventional Ghent candy – also referred to as ‘little noses’ was on my record earlier than we left, however whereas we managed various different candy treats within the metropolis, we missed our likelihood to strive these first time spherical. I made up for it on our second go to and wasn’t disenchanted.
The triangular purple sweets have a tough outer shell and are gooey inside. The unique candy raspberry flavour has been joined with a string of different fruity variations (plus chocolate ones).
They don’t final lengthy as soon as they’re made, so seize a bag and scoff them quite than taking them house to eat weeks later.
We did spy one or two stalls on the road, however having left it to a cold February Sunday, we rapidly realised that we’d missed our likelihood as most have been closed up – in summer time, I think you’d don’t have any hassle shopping for a bag, and we discovered lots on provide across the Christmas market in December too.
You may as well try a few of Ghent’s candy outlets, together with The Sweet Nook close to the Vleeshuisbrug – the bridge that leads from the streets close to the Korenmarkt to the fort.
Or a bit additional alongside the water, one other conventional sweetshop, Confiserie Temmerman is on Kraanlei.
Have some chocolate
Whilst you shouldn’t miss making an attempt cuberdons, it’s chocolate that most individuals consider after they consider Belgium – and for good purpose. Melted on waffles or stuffed with praline, you received’t be wanting choices.
Wander across the outdated centre and also you’ll discover countless cafes serving waffles in addition to chocolate outlets a truffle’s throw away from you, wherever you’re standing.
If you need much more, Mayana Chocoladebar is a restaurant centered solely round chocolate, whereas Huize Colette is a chocolate bar and guide cafe – two of my favorite issues in a single.
You possibly can even take a guided chocolate tour stopping at eight completely different chocolatiers as you discover.
St Peter’s abbey and winery
An ideal place for sunny days with youngsters in Ghent, this historic abbey – which dates again to the seventh century – has attractive gardens to wander round in addition to its personal winery.
You may as well wander by means of a few of the outdated abbey buildings, together with the medieval eating corridor and church, plus the cloisters, and there’s a everlasting exhibition referred to as ‘Between Heaven and Earth’. Sadly the enjoyable audio information for teenagers has been discontinued for now.
Entry to the abbey is free with a Gent CityCard (and for under-13s). The abbey is closed on Mondays.
Ghent Botanic Gardens
One other pretty place to get open air in Ghent with youngsters, the Botanic Gardens are connected to the College of Gent they usually’re free to go to so it’s straightforward to wander by means of and eye up the completely different vegetation.
It’s near the MSK high-quality artwork museum – and there’s the Citadelpark reverse too – in case you want someplace to burn off power after wandering round Previous Masters.
The gardens additionally embrace a tropical and subtropical greenhouse, with over 10,000 completely different types of vegetation to take a look at. Open every day however solely within the morning at weekends.
Home of Alijn
The Home of Alijn is one other uncommon spot with a give attention to life because it was in Ghent throughout the twentieth century – a museum of on a regular basis life.
The little museum was as soon as the ‘Kids of Alijn hospice’, the one almshouse that’s been preserved within the metropolis. Now it’s an opportunity to step again into the previous, with numerous interactive touches, proper all the way down to smelling outdated washing detergent.
For many who grew up in Belgium, it’s a visit down reminiscence lane – I can think about this being extremely popular with grandparents visiting with their grandchildren.
However even in case you didn’t, there are many enjoyable conventional touches like the prospect to dip right into a dressing up field or look by means of outdated photographs, in addition to basic video games like hopscotch.
Free for kids, however in any other case that is one museum which isn’t included within the Gent CityCard.
For extra concepts of issues to do in Ghent with youngsters, the vacationer board’s web site has ideas for ‘little dragons’, together with the enjoyable digital path, Discover Fosfor the Dragon’s Glasses, geared toward 5 to 12-year-olds
The place to eat with youngsters in Ghent
For those who’re searching for locations to eat in Ghent with youngsters, you received’t be wanting choices, whether or not you fancy extra conventional Flemish meals or if – like me – you’re travelling with a quite fussier small companion.
Meme Gusta is an efficient possibility for conventional native dishes or in case you’re searching for a child-friendly various (even when it’s not desperately Flemish), Eat Love Pizza close to the canal was nice – there’s a youngsters menu (they usually fortunately tailored the fundamental margherita with some extras for my daughter) plus the included basket of waffles for dessert was so large that I used to be compelled to assist.
The identical goes for Manhattn’s Burgers on Graslei – very pleasant employees, who fortunately took all of the extras off to provide my daughter a really plain hen burger, and whipped up a scrumptious one with numerous trimmings for me in its brioche bun. Get the truffle mayo along with your fries too.
Not precisely historically Flemish both however after a chilly Sunday exploring within the wind, they’d blond beer, fast, pleasant service, and though it was proper on Graslei, it didn’t really feel massively touristy.
In case you have time, you may as well uncover extra about Belgian beer than simply ordering the odd glass with a go to to the Ghent Gruut Brewery – or Gentse Gruut Stadsbrouwerij. There’s a youngsters’ play space and you’ll pattern beer flights in addition to taking a tour.
It’s value realizing that the Holy Meals Market, with numerous stalls serving completely different meals, and which gave the impression of a terrific possibility with youngsters, has now closed.
The place to remain in Ghent with youngsters
We stayed at Aparthotel Castelnou on our first go to, which is a brief stroll from the historic centre – splendid for households as there’s a small kitchen with fridge and hobs to self-cater, in addition to a eating desk and residing house.
Breakfast is included and there’s a restaurant within the lodge if you need lunch/dinner too, though we tended to eat out at lunchtime and have one thing in our room within the night.
Don’t count on quirky fashionable decor however we had every little thing we wanted: the beds have been very comfortable after days strolling round Ghent, and we discovered all of the necessities within the rest room – there was even a shower, which appears rarer and rarer in motels lately.
With separate residing house, there’s numerous room to unfold out – that is the place further beds are put as effectively however even with my daughter’s mattress added, it wasn’t cramped.
The aparthotel is barely exterior the centre nevertheless it’s very straightforward to get round. A number of bus routes run from Gent Sint-Pieters stations (the primary prepare station in Ghent, the place you may join utilizing Eurostar tickets) in addition to into the centre, down in direction of MSK and over to Graffiti Avenue.
You possibly can guide through Reserving.com right here
For those who’re staying in summer time, it might be a beautiful stroll alongside the canal to get to most locations you’d need to go to. In February, after we didn’t fancy an excessive amount of hanging round within the chilly, there have been half a dozen bus routes whisking us wherever we would need to go.
Obtain the DeLijn app which has a route planner and provides correct occasions of when the following buses or trams will arrive. You may as well purchase tickets utilizing the app for much less, in case you don’t have a Gent CityCard. Ghent has a low emission zone, so in case you do need to drive, you’ll pay a payment to take action.
If you wish to be within the coronary heart of town, you may as well discover a number of chains within the metropolis centre, together with the Novotel Gent Centrum which has rooms with house for households, in addition to the quirky Comedian Artwork Lodge not removed from Gravensteen Fort.
For extra Belgium household journey inspiration try my choose of one of the best issues to do in Bruges with youngsters, the highest issues to do in Brussels with youngsters and issues to do in Antwerp with youngsters
PIN FOR LATER: THINGS TO DO IN GHENT WITH KIDS
Disclosure: We have been supplied with free Go to Gent playing cards and lodging at Aparthotel Castelnou by Go to Gent and Go to Flanders throughout our first go to. I paid for our Eurostar tickets and all meals and liked it a lot we got here again at our personal expense. Our alternative of issues to do in Ghent was my very own – though my daughter insisted on there being waffles. Comprises affiliate hyperlinks – any purchases you make are unaffected however I could obtain a small fee.
Photographs copyright MummyTravels
LIKED THIS? SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL NEWSLETTER