Ghent: City of Art
From mediaeval paintings to hip street art
©Stad Gent - Dienst Toerisme
Do you like modern art or would you rather look at paintings by the Flemish Old Masters? In Ghent you will find the past right alongside the present. Centuries of history and culture go hand in hand here with contemporary liveliness and modern creativity. Each of the museums in Ghent is an experience in its own right.
A wide range of themes such as psychiatry, the visual arts or the city’s industrial past offer something for everyone. The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by the Van Eyck brothers is one of Ghent’s absolute top attractions. Every season, the S.M.A.K. comes up with astonishing international exhibitions at world level. Little children can have great fun in the city’s museums as well. There are special tours for children, discovery trails and creative workshops. There is even a whole museum intended specifically for young children: The World of Kina!
The Ghent museums
Art galleries in Ghent
Besides its museums and art galleries, Ghent boasts several other cultural gems. Music centre De Bijloke stages more than 120 concerts each season. Arts centre VIERNULVIER, with its art deco café, is a hundred-year-old monument in its own right, with an extensive programme of stage productions and music. If you like street art, you will love the Werrengarenstraatje or ‘Graffiti Street’, where street artists can paint the walls as they please. Or walk the street art route.
Sorry, Not Sorry - Street Art Map Gent
Fans of street art are in luck with this map showing all kinds of outdoor art. The walk along street art in the city centre is doubly interesting, as this tour is not only an introduction to Ghent’s street art, but also brings you to some tourist highlights. Ghent’s street art scene is booming and fits in wonderfully with the historical city.
Available in 3 different languages: Dutch, French and English
A paper version of this brochure is also available in the tourist office.
The best example of the link between Ghent’s historic character and modern art has to be the Light Festival. Once every three years, Ghent is the canvas for international light artists. Spectacular light projects grace the old façades and warm up the mediaeval city centre in the depths of winter.