Where are you from? 

Those four words, that one seemingly simple question has been the start of many long conversations all over the world. From me giving a whole list of neighboring countries in an attempt to explaining where the hell that tiny country of mine is located as soon as I leave Europe, over trying to explain why on earth a 30.000 km² sized country with only 11 million inhabitants would need three languages, to convincing people that, no, French fries aren’t from France…

There’s a lot to say about my dear Belgium, and I’m sure you’d be surprised to hear how much there is to see and do. Curious? Good, ‘cause you’re getting a chance to win a €150 Weekendesk voucher to check it out for yourself – or any other place of your choice that can be found on their website!

Keep on reading, I’ll explain what you have to do to win in a second!

CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights

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But first, let me tell you about one of my favorite places in Belgium…

LET’S GO TO GHENT!

If you ended up in Ghent as a tourist 20 years ago, you’d probably taken a wrong turn somewhere halfway between Brussels and Bruges, or gotten off the train at the wrong station. I don’t even remember ever visiting it as a kid, and it wasn’t until 10 – 15 years ago, when I met some people who lived there, we decided to all take salsa lessons together and spent more time after-salsa-ing than actually going to the classes, that I really got to know it.

CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights

That first night out, I was bluffed. How on earth could a gem like this not attract more interest? How was this place not overwhelmed with tour buses and cameras? But I wasn’t complaining, ’cause you just don’t say no to some quality time with a beauty like this…

Ghent, we may have first met in the dark, but I knew right from the start this wasn’t gonna be a one-night kinda thing…

CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - HighlightsCITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights

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Northern Europe’s second largest city back in the 13th century, Ghent has more listed buildings than any other Belgian city and strolling through its streets is a history lesson all by itself. I definitely also recommend a boat tour, to see it all from a different angle.

But Ghent isn’t just architecture. There’s museums, art galleries, flee markets and little streets full of graffiti. Exhibitions, concerts and festivals. Amazing restaurants that serve actual good typical Belgian food and tiny hidden bars that you’ll only find by accident.

[su_button url=”https://visit.gent.be/en/home” target=”blank” background=”#F75B68″ rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”]Click here to see all the must-sees, hidden gems, events, restaurants, … [/su_button]

CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights

Over those past 10 – 15 years, obviously a lot has changed. Ghent is now on every ‘10 best things to do in Belgium ‘ list, right next to Brussels and Bruges, french fries, chocolate and beer. The tour buses and cameras have arrived. But that awesome local vibe from back in the days is still there. You never get the feeling that it’s been transformed into a museum. People actually live here, and the city lives with them.

CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights

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YOU CAN WIN A € 150 WEEKENDESK VOUCHER FOR A WEEKEND OR SHORT TRIP OF YOUR CHOICE

Weekendesk is an online travel agent that specializes in weekend getaways and short thematic trips (wellness, food, adventure, …) at very interesting prices. Popular destinations you can find on their website are Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy but check it out for much more options. They have a huge offer and there’s always some kind of discount, often up to 30 or 40% of the normal price.

And today it gets even better, ’cause you can win a € 150 voucher to use on their website!

CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights

It’s very simple, you only have to do 2 things: leave a comment on this post saying ‘Let’s go!’ and share it as much as you possibly can.

Let me explain…

CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights

This article is part of a contest in which several other bloggers and myself pick their favorite city in their home country, and write about why they love it so much. The winner is determined by the number of likes on social media, and gets a € 150 Weekendesk voucher. But that’s not all! The winner also gets a second € 150 voucher, to give to one of their readers!

Yyyyyep, that could be you!!!!

 

CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights

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So, to sum it up, all you have to do, is:

  1. Leave a comment on this post saying ‘Let’s go!’ between 1st and 14th of July. Don’t forget to fill out your email when you submit your comment, as I won’t be able to contact you without it. Don’t worry, nobody but me will get to see it! 
  2. Share this post as much as you can. On Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, … Don’t hold back, hit that share button until you get arthritis in your finger and let’s win those vouchers together!

You can find the full terms and conditions here.

CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - HighlightsCITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights

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THE BEST TIME TO GO? RIGHT NOW!

Obviously Ghent can be visited all year round, but summer is when the city comes to life the most. An absolute not-to-miss highlight are the ‘Gentse feesten’ or ‘Ghent Festivities’, which are a 10-day mix of concerts, activities for children, street performances, fairs and parades. ALL FOR FREE! This year they start on Friday 14th July and end on 23th July. Don’t miss the fireworks for Belgium’s National Day on 21th July!

CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - HighlightsCITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - HighlightsCITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights

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TIME TO START SHARING

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Google+, … I’m getting too old to follow it all – haha – but don’t hold back and share your ass off to increase your chances of winning that € 150 Weekendesk voucher!! Click on the share buttons below or on the images in this post to see all your sharing options!

Don’t forget to comment “Let’s go!” below to enter! I can’t see who’s sharing this post so commenting below is the only way to make sure you’ll get a chance to win!

CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - HighlightsCITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - HighlightsCITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights

Click the pin button below to see more pins!

 

Want to explore more of Belgium? Check out these cool things to do in Antwerp!

Disclaimer: this article was written in collaboration with Weekendesk.be, but all opinions are my own and straight from the heart, as always. 

CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights
CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights
CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights
CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights
CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights
CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights
CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights
CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights
CITY GUIDE - What to do in Ghent, Belgium - Best things - Highlights

81 thoughts on “HIGHLIGHTS OF MY HOME COUNTRY – What I love about Ghent, Belgium”

  1. In Belgium, Ghent is one of the best and my favorite place because this place is known as a cultural hub of Belgium, contains many historical things that make this place so special. Thanks for sharing the amazing post and beautiful captions of Ghent.

  2. Such a great post <3 Hope that one day I could have a chance to visit Belgium. I love this country because of its various culture and the famous chocolate. I also have some Belgium friends, they are very nice and friendly. I`m sure that my experience there will be one of the most memorable moments in my life. Thank you

  3. A wonderful blog post with lots of beautiful pictures of Belgium. Here you have provided a lot of useful information about the country, food, and activities that can be performed in Belgium.

    I hope to visit Belgium once in the future.

  4. Visited Ghent with my kids this past summer. Just beautiful. So comfortable and yet around each corner was a surprise. Not sure about those Bicky Burgers though!

  5. Thanks for your great post <3 Hope that one day I could have a chance to visit Belgium. I love the people here, they are very kind and friendly. I'm also impressed with the architecture in Belgium. I hope I can have chances to come back to visit Belgium soon. I`m sure that my experience there will be one of the most memorable moments in my life. Thank you

  6. I visited this city back in January and loved it! The age of the buildings was something you don’t see in my home country of the Netherlands. The only problem I ran into was when using your trams: I discovered too late that they only accept notes of 10 euros or less, which I just did not happened to have at that time. The trams were huge by the way!

  7. I loved exploring Ghent last year. I have fond memories of listening to local musicians play underneath a large open structure, allowing the piano to echo through into the streets. That and some tasty pastries! Beautiful place, beautiful country.

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  9. Europe is any such vacation spot that everybody desires to explore. Europe has a number of the maximum photogenic and heart-preventing stunning locations to offer. Starting from ancient buildings, fairy-story castles, towering cathedrals, cobbled streets, and never-ending herbal beauty, the allure of Europe is undeniable. While Paris, London, Rome, Prague, Dubrovnik, and others are visited by hundreds of thousands of vacationers each year, a few travelers like us additionally search for the hidden gemstones in Europe.

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