The Ghent Altarpiece
What a masterpiece. Nice to look at in books, but exquisite to view with one’s own eyes.
Seeing this treasure up close in person was the highlight of my Adventure in Ghent. Much obliged to my friend Laura for the wonderful suggestion.
Getting to Ghent, however, was a nightmare.
No adventure is immune to the Horrors of Travel. Birthday Adventure 2023 experienced a doozy during my transit from Zürich to Ghent via Brussels.
I enjoyed the nice morning walk to Zürich Hauptbahnhof. The wonderful smell of fresh air after the early morning rain gave me a little more pep and excitement for the next adventure.
The train was the cheaper than flying, plus I can work on revisions for my novel, The Runner.
However, after this exasperating experience, I might consider flying on my next adventures.
As always, the Deutsche Bahn train was late. No issues with this because I had a 45-minute window to catch my connecting train in Frankfurt. Things will be okay.
Spoke too soon.
One hour before arriving in Frankfurt, I got a notification that my connection train is not stopping in Frankfurt as scheduled. Why, I don’t know.
So I spent the next hour on the DB app trying to find a way to Köln to catch the train to Brussels.
The Zürich train arrived in Frankfurt 20 minutes late. I rushed to catch the train to Köln, which was scheduled to leave in eight minutes.
Now I make it to Köln, but not the main Köln station, where I need to go to get the train to Brussels. This leads to a mad dash to the Köln Station platform to catch the three-minute train to the main station to catch the Brussels train.
In the mad dash, my phone got knocked out of my hand. Luckily another passenger caught it. So I didn’t lose my phone, which would have been a disaster on an epic scale.
Made it to Köln Hauptbahnhof with two minutes to spare. I boarded the train and found my reserved seat.
I was two seconds away from settling in and relaxing when an announcement blared over the loudspeakers.
The train is broken and …
Shut the freaking door!
Luckily, passengers’ tickets will be honored on the next available train. In this case, that was the 1342 train.
Whilst waiting on the 1342 train to Brussels, an announcement blared, stating that all passengers on ICE 16, my train to Brussels, will now be bussed to Brussels. Apparently, the next three trains to Brussels were completely booked and there were no seats available.
Taking the bus wasn’t a bad idea. Despite my frustration, my goal was to get to Ghent before 7 p.m.
We were told the buses will depart at 1245. However, the DB staff never told us the pickup location. Eventually another passenger found the location and was nice enough to rush back and lead us to the pickup location.
The buses don’t arrive until 1300. Only 60 of the close to 200 original passengers were still waiting by this time. The others decided to take their chances with the trains, and a few decided to travel to different cities and make connections to Brussels.
I stuck with my guaranteed seat on the bus. Boarding began, and only after we boarded where we’re told that the bus isn’t taking us to Brussels as promised. Nope, we’re going to Liège. We’d have to take the Belgium regional train to Brussels once in Liège.
Only 20 of us stuck with the bus after this announcement. The other 40 people darted back to the train station to try their luck with the trains.
The ride to Liège wasn’t terrible. The bus was air-conditioned and relatively clean. There was no Wi-Fi, but I pretty much slept for the two-hour ride.
We arrived in Liège at 1540, and we were able to get the next train to Brussels. No requirement to buy a regional ticket, which is another important note DB staff did not communicate.
After all that, I arrived at Gent-Sint-Pieters Station in Ghent, my adventure location, safe and sound. That’s the most important thing.
Interesting note: The 1342 train was delayed and got to Brussels around 1800.
LODGINGS
HOTEL CARLTON GENT
Had it not been for a security incident, I’d recommend the Hotel Carlton Gent to other explorers.
That issue keeps me from making this a perfect 5-star stay. I returned from exploring one day to find housekeeping had left my room unlocked. The hotel uses actual room keys, and the doors do not automatically lock when closed. I immediately reported this to the manager, who apologized repeatedly.
However, her rationale that the room was only unlocked for “two minutes” while the busy housekeeper went to grab more supplies did not sit well with me. It only takes one minute for a determined thief to grab and dash.
Offering me a coffee, which is provided complimentary in the room, doesn’t solve the major problem with leaving guests’ rooms unsecure. Saying you’d “remind” her to check the doors means this is a repeat problem that is not being properly addressed.
That said, the 3-star Hotel Carlton Gent is a modern hotel a quick 3-minute walk from Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station. I selected this hotel for my three-night stay because of its distance to the train station and the spacious rooms. Location was perfect for me to explore the city.
Customer service was excellent and check in was smooth. My standard twin room was a spacious 28 square meters, complete with a bathtub. The room did have noticeable wear and tear, but was cleaned and homely. Complementary water was provided and refreshed daily. Wi-Fi was strong and the hotel was quiet. Breakfast was amazing and the food was delicious.
COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT BRUSSELS EU
I only stayed only for one night at the Courtyard By Marriott Brussels EU. I was taking the Eurostar to London the next day and it was easier to stay a night in Brussels. Room was reasonably priced, nice and clean.
Location didn’t seem tourist friendly, but the metro was just around the corner, so it’s easy to get where you want to go. I wasn’t interested in exploring Brussels this time around. I’ve visited the city twice before, and was only in town for the Eurostar.
Customer service was decent and unobtrusive. Checking in at the bar reminded me of my stay at the Moxy London Heathrow Airport, but that’s where the comparison ended. I ate lunch and dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, which was very pricey for what was served, but still edible.
CITYCARD GENT
I highly recommend purchasing a CityCard Gent.
The card includes free admission to all the top attractions in Ghent, except the Ghent Altarpiece. It also includes public transport, which will save you a lot if your legs can’t handle walking on the cobblestones. The CityCard also included one guided tour by boat. I purchased a 48-hour card for $42, and it paid for itself by my third attraction.
Day 1:
- Six rides on the tram (I went the wrong way on the first trip) – $15
- Entry to Gravensteen/Castle of the Counts – $14
- Boat Tour – $13
- St Peter’s Abbey – $12
Day 2:
- Ten rides on the tram – $28
- STAM, Ghent City Museum – $14
- Museum of Industry – $10
- House of Alijn – $10
- The Ghent Altarpiece – $18
Total price for all attractions without the CityCard Gent: $134. Saved a lot more than the advertised $25.
GRAVENSTEEN
The ‘Castle of the Counts’ is a must-see on any visit to Ghent.
Boasting thick stone walls, and a history laced with intrigue and torture, this landmark is a historical treasure in the heart of Ghent. Entry is included when using the CityCard Gent.
This castle was actually pretty fun to explore, thanks in part to the Horrible History-esque audio guide. Voiced by Flemish comedian Wouter Deprez, the audio guide is packed with funny anecdotes, historical tidbits and secrets, and exciting battles between knights in the background.
My favorite part was the view from the castle’s towers. Very sunny day with a clear view of the Ghent skyline.
BOAT TOUR
Yes, I am not a fan of boats, even ones that motors up and down canals. Nevertheless, the sunny weather, and a free boat tour, courtesy of the CityCard Gent, felt like a nice way to get some beautiful photos of Gent, and learn a little more of the history of this wonderful city.
The 50-minute tour leisurely motored down the river Leie, while the guide told the fascinating history of medieval Ghent. Unfortunately, most of the tour was in French. By the time the guide got to the English portion, we’d motored passed the landmark.
We passed Graslei, the Castle of Counts and Groot Vleeshuis. We also passed by the Donkere Poort of Prinsenhof, the only remaining portion of the Princes’ Court where Charles V of Spain was born.
STAM, GHENT CITY MUSEUM
Next up was the STAM, Ghent City Museum. The museum features the story of Ghent from the Middle Ages to the present day. The highlights for me were the SkYline and the Walk all over Ghent exhibits.
The Walk all over Ghent is a gigantic aerial photograph of Ghent that you are allowed to walk all over. Shoe booties are required before entering the room to ensure the floor stays clean. There was a Google Map-type search function that allows you to pinpoint specific locations on the giant map.
The SkYline: High-rise in the Low Countries exhibition takes visitors through the history of various cities’ skylines, and how the skylines shaped our world and landscape.
The exhibit focuses much on Europe’s skylines, with special attention to Ghent and Rotterdam. It was fascinating to see the different stages of skylines and how they evolved to be more functional, while still showcasing humankind’s ingenuity and imagination.
POULE & POULETTE
Soaring through the skylines had my tummy growling for food. Ghent offers so many wonderful restaurants. I selected Poule & Poulette in Korenmarkt because the restaurant next door was ‘drinks only.’
Customer service was adequate and the atmosphere was okay. Order the Chicken Caesar Salad. It was edible but the portion size was not worth the €17.
THE HOUSE OF ALIJN
The Museum of Daily Life was next up. Again, entry was included with the CityCard Gent.
The House of Alijn allows guests to explore the ordinary daily life of 20th century people. There wasn’t any fancy art work or exhibits. Nope, this museum captures the normal everyday life of folks throughout a common year.
Starting January 1, the museum travels from birth, christening, elementary school, teenage years, marriage, family and eventually death. The museum’s interactive aspect encourages visitors to use all five senses.
Granted, it was cool to play Pac-Man on PC, but I passed on smelling the different life smells.
CITY LIFE
The rest of my adventure consisted of walking the city and snapping photos of City Life.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ghent, Gent, Gand, Gaunt – no matter what you call this city, exploring it was truly a mesmerizing adventure. The escapade getting to Ghent was mind-boggling, but the adventure was worth the Horrors of Travel.
Ghent truly is “more than a one night stay.”
Next stop on Birthday Adventure 2023 …
Discover Europe by Train
Below are my top three choices I research for when I want discover popular European train routes, journey times and how to book tickets online.
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