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| The Graslei at night. |
With its film
and music festivals, Ghent has become a hip Belgian town to visit during the
summer and autumn months. But in winter, this Flemish city has an allure all
its own, with festive lights reflecting off the many canals, monuments that one
can view without being elbowed by crowds of tourists, and atypical exhibitions
mounted just for the season.
The lights
around the “three-tower” historical centre are at their most striking in
winter, decorating the façade of the medieval buildings on the Graslei, for
instance. At night, and especially in the early morning, this old port
takes on an added charm, as the colours mirrored in the waters of the Leie make
visitors feel like they’re in a famous Flemish painting.
A short
distance away, one can find the three buildings that many people travel to Ghent to
see: the imposing St Bavo’s Cathedral, the 95-metre-high Belfry with its shiny copper dragon, and the gothic Saint Nicholas Church.
The Cathedral
houses many art treasures but is best known for “The Adoration of the Mystic
Lamb”, a 12-panel altarpiece (and masterpiece) painted in 1432 by the brothers
Hubert and Jan van Eyck. The work features astounding details of religious
iconography and tells a multi-faceted story of the birth of Christ.
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| Houses along the Leie |
The painting has also
seen some turbulent times, having been carted off during various conflicts and
even damaged by fire. One panel, “The Just Judges”, is still missing after
being stolen in 1934; in its place is a reproduction by another artist.
Ghent town officials launched new restoration work on the altarpiece last September, and this
is scheduled to last at least five years. In the meantime, St Bavo’s Cathedral
is still displaying two-thirds of the original work, while black-and-white
replicas stand in for the panels being restored.
After seeing
“The Adoration”, one can climb the stairs to the top of the Belfry for a view
of the city that inspired the Van Eycks. The Belfry, one of the tallest bell
towers in the world, is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the dragon on top of
the tower is said to be a symbol of “Ghent’s independence”. The dragon has been
there since 1380, “watching over the city”, as Ghent experienced invasions, mercantile bustle, rebellions, wars and liberation.
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| Inside St. Nicholas' Church |
From the
Belfry, one can admire St. Nicholas’ Church, built in Tournai bluestone in
what’s known as the Scheldt Gothic style, named after the region’s Scheldt
river. Now considered an architectural gem, particularly because of its grand
tower above the crossing of the nave and transept, the church was almost turned
into a grain hall during the French Revolution, when all of the city's churches
were closed to religious services. Despite being looted, the building survived,
however, and has undergone periodic renovation and refurbishing since then.
Down from the
Belfry, one can venture inside St. Nicholas’ to hear its organ and see its
shiny, elaborate interior after more than 30 years of restoration work.
A different
perspective of the city comes from St Michaels Bridge (Sint Michielshelling)
with the river stretching in both directions and the three towers of the city
lined up as if for the perfect photo.
Then it’s time to explore Ghent’s quirky medieval streets, calm and quiet in winter.
Like most of
Belgium, the city gets its fair share of rain. Yet, when one least expects it,
there will be a sun-filled day, with the light glinting off the tops of the
gable roofs and being reflected in the water of the city’s myriad canals.
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| The Castle of the Counts |
The streets
north of the Graslei lead to the daunting Castle of the Counts (Gravensteen),
where one can view dungeons and a torture museum, or just imagine time-travelling back to the 12th century when the castle was built by Philip I, Count of Flanders. In winter, with the early
falling of dusk, the castle seems even more imposing than in the summer months
when the daylight lasts until late evening.
Ghent is also
the birthplace of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, who was born there in 1500.
His statue can be found a few streets away from the Gravensteen, on the
Prinsenhof Plein. He seems to have had surprisingly short legs.
He would
probably have ridden through the Patershol, the medieval centre of Ghent, with
its narrow well-preserved houses along the cobblestone streets. One can now rent
a bike (no horses) from the Tourist Office, but the buildings are best admired
as one strolls leisurely through the area, remembering to speak in a low voice.
Many of the houses bear signs asking visitors to be quiet because “the
residents are sleeping”. Revelers during the summer no doubt create quite a ruckus.
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| The Graslei in the early morning. |
The visitors
expected for January’s Ghent Light Festival should be less noisy, as only sounds of awe tend to accompany the sight of the city being made into "a living light exhibition”, as the organizers describe it.
Last year the
Festival simulated the burning of the Belfry, through the play of lights,
and in January 2015, for the third edition of the festival, visitors can expect to feel the same kind of childish excitement brought on by a good fireworks show, as "artistic illumination" makes Ghent sparkle. - L. McKenzie & J.M. De Clercq
