The majestic Ghent

The history of Ghent, the former residence of the Counts of Flanders and the birthplace of the “Father of Europe”, Emperor Charles V, is full of paradoxes and mysteries. This is a cozy town where streets and squares literally breathe ancient legends. And the unique atmosphere, full of contradictions, evokes the same admiration as it caused our Peter the Great, who once visited this great trading city.

Visual witnesses of the glorious past of Ghent are the impregnable castle of Gravenstein and a masterpiece of Gothic architecture the Cathedral of St. Bavon. In the cathedral are the famous altar "The Worship of the Lamb of God" by the Van Eyck brothers and the painting by Peter Paul Rubens "Conversion of St. Bavo".

The old town hall amazes with the splendor of architecture. And the watchtower Belfort, this eyewitness to all the “ups and downs” of Ghent and a proud symbol of its independence, tells about its hiding places. Once, for seven castles there were kept important certificates with the rights and privileges of the free city.

But the most beautiful part of Ghent is the embankment of the Leia River, along which there are buildings of powerful trade guilds erected in the Middle Ages. The most beautiful and majestic of them is the Guild of Bitchmen, built in the XV century.

At present, the historical center of Ghent is completely freed from automobile traffic and is under the watchful guard of the dormant police. This all-seeing guardian, long sitting on the spire of the watchtower, is the symbol of the city of Ghent, the Golden Dragon.