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Ghent’s belfry is a prominent landmark, rising 91 m (299 ft) to the gilded dragon on the tip of its spire. It was built in 1380–81 and served for centuries as lookout tower, clock and alarm. It houses a 52-bell carillon, which is used for regular concerts. There is a lift to the top.

The Abdij van de Bijloke, an old rambling Cistercian convent and hospital, provides the quirky setting for a miscellaneous collection of historical artifacts. Among the cloisters and dormitories you’ll find Chinese ceramics, medieval tombs, kitchenware, freemasons’ regalia, models of warships, a Louis XIV drawing room, and historical costumes. The convent dates from medieval times, but most of the buildings are 17th-century.

This museum is a must for anyone with the slightest interest in furniture, furnishings and interior decoration. Housed in a grand 18th-century mansion, plus an uncompromisingly modern extension, it provides a tour through changing European styles from the 17th century to the present. The Art Nouveau collection is particularly rewarding, with work by Horta, Gallé and Lalique.

The Graslei and Korenlei are departure points for canal trips. The two quays are lined with the step-gabled guildhouses of merchants and tradesmen that date back to the 12th century. Sint Michielsbrug, the bridge at the southern end, offers the best views of the city.

Just north of the centre of Ghent is a quaint and folksy quarter called the Patershol, a warren of little medieval streets and alleys. This is the backdrop for one of the best folk museums in Belgium (it was formerly called the Museum voor Volkskunde). A huge and fascinating collection of artifacts – toys, games, shoes and crockery, as well as complete shops and craftsmen’s workshops – are laid out within almshouses set around a grassy courtyard. These almshouses were founded in 1363 as a children’s hospital – not as an act of pure philanthropy but as penance for the murder of two members of the Alijn family.

There are three béguinages (see Bruges) in Ghent, but this is by far the prettiest. With step-gabled, whitewashed houses set around a little park and Baroque church, it is a classic of its kind – a fact recognized by its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded as a community of single women in about 1235, and has been continuously occupied, although the residents are no longer béguines . Most of the present houses date from the 17th century.

Ghent’s two leading museums of art are a short tram or bus ride south of the city centre. The Museum voor Schone Kunsten (Fine Arts Museum) covers painting and sculpture up to the early 20th century. While closed for renovation (until autumn 2006), highlights such as works by Hieronymus Bosch, Rogier van der Weyden and Hugo van der Goes will be shown at a variety of other locations; check the museum’s website for details. Opposite the MSK, in more ways than one, is the Stedelijk Museum voor Acktuele Kunst (SMAK), Ghent’s modern art gallery. Its challenging permanent collection and temporary exhibitions have placed SMAK at the forefront of modern art galleries in Europe.

St Bavo, or Bavon, was a local 7th-century saint. The cathedral named after him dates back to the 10th century, but most of it is Gothic, built over three centuries after 1290. The dark Tournai stone creates a sombre interior, which is upstaged by the grandiose Baroque-Rococo pulpit of oak and marble (1741–5). The greatest treasure, however, is the multi-panelled, 15th-century altarpiece, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by Hubrecht and Jan van Eyck (see The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb).

St Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, was patron saint of merchants, and this was the merchants’ church. Built in the 13th to 15th centuries, it is Belgium’s best example of the austere style called Scheldt Gothic.

The impressive town hall was the scene of some of the great landmarks in the city’s history. Inside is a series of council chambers, still in use today – some dating back to the 15th century, others refurbished during restoration after 1870.