Belgium, Gent

Ghent is a city and a municipality located in Flanders, Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and became in the Middle Ages one of the largest and richest cities of northern Europe.

The municipality comprises the city of Ghent proper and the towns of Afsnee, Desteldonk, Drongen, Gentbrugge, Ledeberg, Mariakerke, Mendonk, Oostakker, Sint-Amandsberg, Sint-Denijs-Westrem, Sint-Kruis-Winkel, Wondelgem and Zwijnaarde.

Every year a ten day long street festival is held called the Ghent Fests ('Gentse Feesten' in Dutch).

History

Archeologic evidence shows human presence in the region of the confluence of Scheldt and Lys going back as far as the Stone Age and the Iron Age.

Ghent was also the site of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent which formally ended the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States of America.

After the Belgian Revolution, the first Belgian trade-union originated in Ghent. In 1913 there was a World exhibition in Ghent. As a preparation for these festivities the Sint-Pieters railway station, was completed in 1912.

Economy

The port of Ghent, in the north of the city, is the third largest port of Belgium. It is accessed by the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal, which ends near the Dutch port of Terneuzen on the Western Scheldt. The port houses, among others, big companies like Sidmar, Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, Volvo Parts, Honda, and Stora Enso.

Tourism

Much of the city's medieval architecture remains intact and is remarkably well preserved and restored. Its center is the largest carfree area in Belgium. Interesting highlights are the Saint Bavo Cathedral with the Ghent Altarpiece, the belfry, the Gravensteen castle, and the splendid architecture along the old Graslei harbour.
Restaurants and culinary traditions
As most Belgian cities, Ghent offers a rich variety of local and foreign cuisine. Especially the quarter called "Patershol" has a concentration of restaurants. The "Sleepstraat" a little bit further north houses a number of Turkish restaurants and food bars.

Culture

The city is host to some big cultural events such as the Gentse Feesten, I Love Techno, 10 days off, Flanders International Film Festival Ghent (with the World Soundtrack Awards) and the Internationaal Festival van Vlaanderen Gent.
Night Life
For a medium size city, Ghent has a booming night life. There's a lot to be done at night, whether you like to go to the movies, enjoy a play, attend a concert, go to a club or just have a night out with friends at a fancy jazz bar.

There's also Flanders Expo, a big event hall on the outskirts of the city, accommodating a lot of big parties and events throughout the year.