It is difficult to believe, but less than fifty metres from the bustling Sint-Baafsplein you will find an oasis of calm: the Achtersikkel.

With a little luck, your stroll past this beautiful little square with its two towers and well, will be graced by a violin solo or a piano performance by students of Ghent’s music academy, which is housed here.

The Achtersikkel’s name is derived from the name of rich patricians, the vander Sickelen family. This family enjoyed political and social prestige and long owned the buildings around the beautiful inner courtyard. The brick corner tower belongs to the oldest part. The high round tower was built using sand-lime brick and completed with an octagonal stone belvedere in Renaissance style. The private well is proof of the original inhabitants’ wealth, as few could afford such a luxury.

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