I am writing a new monthly series of articles for a travel agent website about destinations that are three hours or less by train from Paris (I will also be sharing the destinations here). This distance throws a wide net throughout France with TGV trains and also extends to Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
Ghent, Belgium, a romantic city of rivers and waterways running through it, has been on my radar of travel destinations in the past few years. I calculated the time and it was less than two-hours from Paris. After taking the one-hour and twenty minute Thalys train to Brussels from Gard du Nord, I made an easy switch at the same station for the 30-minute train to Ghent. Once in Ghent, it was a ten-minute tram ride to my hotel.
Hotel de Flandre generously provided my overnight stay. Constructed in the 1830s, Hotel de Flandre is conveniently located in the heart of the city, minutes away from all major attractions. My spacious room was big enough for me to comfortably do my yoga movements, the mattress was firm and comfortable, and there was a plug next to the bed for my I-Phone (These are three essential elements I rate hotels by in recent years). The congenial staff helped me navigate the tricky streets of the city.
Ghent was all about water. Walking through the city, everything was connected by the two rivers running through it- the Lys and the Scheldt and the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal. Known as the capital city of textiles originally, Ghent thrived between 1,000 and 1550 as one of the most important cities in Europe, bigger than London at the time.
I was blessed with wonderful weather during both days of my stay, sunny and mostly clear with temperatures in the low 60s F.
I rambled the streets the first few hours, taking in the beautiful landscapes. Strands of foliage blanketed the buildings and the waterways also reflecting on the calm pea green colored rivers. Larger and not as constricted as Bruges and on a smaller scale than Amsterdam, Ghent was a pleasant in between with many characteristics of both.
The old architecture of brick industrial edifices graduating to a triangle at the top was quite a contrast to the romantic Haussmannian style buildings in Paris, although there were similar 17th century hotel de particulier’s. There were also a few excellent examples of minimalistic and spare, modern Belgian architecture including City Pavilion and striking De Krook Library.
As with most northern European cities, there were impressive Gothic and Romanesque churches on almost every square. The Ghent Altarpiece/ the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb inside the Saint Bavo Cathedral was a magnificent series of twelve biblical reliefs painted by the brothers Hubert and Jan Van Eyck in the 1420s and 30s.
The Design Museum was housed in a stunning palace from the 1700s with the most exquisite woodwork and carvings, brocade wallpaper, and a grand staircase. The rooms interestingly enough featured modern day furniture and lamps from contemporary designers.
The Ghent Tourist Board supplied me with the Ghent Pass, which I used for the tram and discounts on museums. It also included a 40-minute boat ride through the canal and rivers. It was a great way to see the architecture and nature of the city close up.
Mussels are synonymous with beer and frites in Belgium and I had a potful of steamed mussels in white wine and crunchy frites (the frites are extra crispy in Belgium because they double-fry them) for lunch at an outdoor café in the center. I found restaurants more expensive than Paris, and my simple pot of moules was 23€, as compared to usual 16-18€ here. I only found one place with a two-course lunch for 20€. However, there’s a wealth of excellent young chefs preparing sophisticated and contemporary cuisine.
I splurged on dinner that night at a very cool Brasserie, Pakhuis, a hardware warehouse from the 1800s, converted to a restaurant space in 1991. The cavernous multi-level space with a lounge area was a fun and lively place to dine solo.
Stay tuned because I will post Ghent night photos on Thursday.
Ghent Pass https://visit.gent.be/en/ghent-museum-pass
Hotel de Flandre
Poel 1, 9000 Gent
http://www.hoteldeflandre.be/en/home
Design Museum Ghent
Jan Breydelstraat 5, 9000
https://www.designmuseumgent.be/en/
Pakuis
Schuurkenstraat 4, 9000
https://www.pakhuis.be/en/
The most amazing Gouda cheese
De Krook Library
Christmas & New Years in Paris-My Apartment for Rent December 24 to January 3(dates flexible)
How would you like to spend a magical Christmas and festive New Years in Paris?
I am renting my apartment out from December 24 to January 3, (dates are flexible) a total of 10 nights for $2500.
Centrally located in the heart of the Marais near the St. Paul metro station, it's a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft style apartment with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps one or two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include A/C, washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S. The apartment is located on the second floor with an elevator.
Photos upon request. Please email me at rn88@rcn.com if you are interested.
Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more. In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.
Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour
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