Walk Local with Katrien Van Gysegem

Totally wild about drawing and colouring? Then this walk is for you! Both for the youngest and the slightly older creative ones. You will discover the city on the basis of Kleurboek Gent. The Castle of the Counts in pink, blue neuzekes or a lilac Mystic Lamb perhaps? Don't forget your colouring pens and give our city your colour!

Katrien Van Gysegem organised events and worked in the cultural sector as coordinator and tour manager for NTGent and Les Ballets C de la B, among others. In 2020 she made her very first colouring book. Kleurboek Gent has become an ode to her city. 

3,1 km - 4200 steps

Drawing is looking and observing. This walk takes you along 5 beautiful 'viewpoints' in the city. Along the way you will come across different colour prints from the colouring book.

Drawing or colouring on a bench on the road is possible, but just absorbing everything is also fantastic. Start your trip at Ganesha in the shop The Fallen Angels in the Jan Breydelstraat, where you can find Kleurboek Gent among all kinds of gadgets and postcards.

Viewpoint 1 

The first colour print is in the middle of the quay on the Korenlei, here you have the perfect view of the Graslei. Via the Groentenmarkt (colour lots of neuzekes or jars of Tierenteyn mustard) we go to the Donkersteeg.

Viewpoint 2

At the end of the Donkersteeg you are suddenly surprised by a magnificent view of the City Pavilion, with the Belfry and its dragon as a backdrop.

Not quite awake yet? First a coffee! You can do this on the terrace of NTGent, for example, with a good view of the passage on the Sint-Baafsplein. Lovely to stay. Via the Limburgstraat and the François Laurentplein we go to the next stop. 

Viewpoint 3

An opening between the houses on the Brabantdam gives a beautiful view of the Krook, a beautiful clearing in the middle of the city. Hungry and fancy a healthy lunch? Then there is Soepplus in front of De Krook or De Warempel on the Zandberg, behind Sint-Baafsplein. 

We continue the walk along the water, following the beautiful new Reep and the Oude Beestenmarkt to the end. 

Viewpoint 4

A spacious open area with lots of oxygen and lots of water at the square in front of the Van Eyck swimming pool, Portus Ganda! Walking along the water is nice so we follow the Lys.

Turn left to Baudelopark, and via Baudelostraat to Vrijdagmarkt. Be sure to check out the unusual facade from Kleurboek along the way. Apero? You can do so on the sun-drenched terrace of Café Albatros. 

Continue via Priem Wallpaper and Temmerman sweets (fun to colour) along the Kraanlei. Be sure to pass by the sympathetic daughter Mieke and granddaughter Paulien of Jetje on the Kraanlei. 

Through the Patershol we then go to the Lievekaai and all the way to the back bridge, at the Zilverhof. 

Viewpoint 5

The romantic Lievekaai. We end the day at the cozy and typical Italian restaurant Shazannah.

Castle of the Counts shop, S.M.A.K.-shop, Standaard Boekhandel, Walry, Limerick, The Fallen Angels