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Photo: Cristina Pastor, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Modern arts museum located in NE corner of citadelpark. Cafe on site.
The Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst is a relatively new museum located in Ghent, Belgium, and is renowned both for its permanent collection and for its provocative exhibitions.
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Gents Universiteitsmuseum or GUM
Known formerly as the Museum for History of Sciences, the University Museum has collections on archaeology, ethnography, morphology and other sciences. Has a botanical garden (with greenhouses) next to the museum.
Tells the story of Ghent in the 14th-century Bijloke Abbey. The abbey refectory shows pre-Eyckian wall paintings. STAM illustrates the story of Ghent by means of more than 300 historical objects and interactive multimedia applications with a lot of visual material. Temporary exhibitions reflect on different aspects of urbanity. The visitor can build Ghent in Lego bricks. The museum is fully accessible for wheelchair users.
With its strong socialist tradition, Ghent is laden with historic buildings testifying to power of the social-democratic movement. The cooperative 'Vooruit' (Progress) was running shops, bakeries, a newspaper, a cinema and a cultural centre for the labour movement. Some of the buildings are exquisite examples of late 19th- and early 20th-century art nouveau and art deco. Main examples can be found on Vrijdagsmarkt (the headquarter 'Ons Huis' (Our House) still in use today by the trade union) and the Kunstencentrum Vooruit on Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat, cultural temple of the labour movement and today in use as an Arts Centre and concert hall.
This béguinage (begijnhof) has several streets.
St. Bavo's Cathedral
Don't miss this cathedral. Rather unimpressive exterior of Romanesque, Gothic, and baroque architecture. However, the interior is filled with priceless paintings and sculptures, including the 24-panel altarpiece The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, completed by Jan van Eyck in 1432. Simply spellbinding, this work was commissioned by a wealthy city alderman in 1420. Original altarpiece Adoration of Mystic Lamb is temporarily and partially closed. Since 2010 a scientific study and conservation works have been in progress. Visitors can follow the activities through a glass wall). Other art treasures in the cathedral include Rubens's restored The Conversion of St. Bavo from 1623. Augmented Reality (AR) tour of the crypt is available in 9 languages. However, the kids version of the AR tour is only available in Dutch, French and English.
Belfry and Cloth Hall
The Belfry was a symbol of the city's autonomy, begun in 1313 and completed in 1380. This municipal tower holds the great bells that have rung out Ghent's civic pride through the centuries. Take the elevator to the Belfry's upper gallery, 66 m high, to see the bells and take in fantastic panoramic views of the city. The Cloth Hall dates from 1425 and was the gathering place of wool and cloth merchants.