Mystery and lambs in Ghent

Next to the delicious Cuberdons and the Martino sandwich, Ghent has a few places that are worth visiting when you are in the neighborhood. Have you ever seen a painting that has survived every bad thing that could possibly happen to it? I have seen one of those, in Ghent. Below I will mention the places I think are the most important, but of course there are many more beautiful and worthwhile spots in Ghent.

Gravensteen

The castle of counts or Gravensteen is a famous fortress in Ghent and is also used in the BBC series White Queen. It was constructed in the year 1180 by count Philip of Alsace. This castle is mostly known for its time as a courthouse and a jail. At the time they could not punish people without having the perpetrator confessing (makes sense to me). So if the people they suspected as perpetrators did not confess, they tortured them until they confessed (does not make sense to me). That's why there are also multiple torture devices exhibited in the castle itself.

Mystic Lamb

I am quite certain that every Flemish student has seen this altarpiece at least ones during a school trip. It certainly is worth a visit and the events this painting went trough are honestly a bit funny. It was almost burned, almost destroyed by Calvinists, it was forged one time then also dismembered, pillaged, censored and stolen (by Napoleon??). Then it was later on hunted during the first world war, a clerk sold it (he was not supposed to), later on rescued again and lets not speak about the Nazis that were looking for it in the Second world war. Should I continue the list? This painting has an entire history on its own, next to being painted by the Van Eyck brothers. Interesting is that one of the twelve panels was stolen in 1934 and has still not been found. Later on the suspected thief left a final clue to its residence at his death bed. It a note that had the following sentence written on it "it rests in a place where neither I, nor anybody else, can take it away without arousing the attention of the public.". If this person truly was the thief or not is unknown, nor are his reasons for a possible theft. So the painting remains hidden even until this day.

Belfort

This tower is 95 meters and is one of the three towers you can see in the skyline of Ghent. This tower is protected and is part of the list of UNESCO world heritage. Like many old buildings you have to climb to the top (there is no elevator) before you are awarded with a beautiful view of the city around you. You can see four statues of soldiers on the tower, these are placed on actual spots where guards used to stand, long ago. These guards were responsible to sound the alarm in case there was a fire happening in the city or just when something dangerous happened in the city.

The house of Alijn

In the 14th Century two families, Alijn and Rijms were fighting with each other and eventually someone died. After this the count decided that the Rims family had to pay a fine to the Alijn family. The Alijn later on became an initiator and protector of this hospital. Now the hospital functions as a museum and shows you thanks to their decorated rooms and videos, how normal people lived during the 20th Century. It tries to show how ordinary everyday life is not as ordinary as we think and is special.

Ghent city card

If you love visiting museums then it might be interesting for you to buy a "Ghent city card". This not only includes free entrance to some museums, but also lets you ride on the public transport for free during the period you bought it for. Including the water tram, this can be an interesting way to explore the city from the water while you move from one side of the city to the other.