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It was founded in 1986, and its exhibits address the history of psychiatry in a permanent collection and through a series of half-yearly changing thematic exhibitions. These temporary exhibitions highlight a certain aspect of the history of mental health so as to tell a broader story about our society’s way of dealing with normality through the arts, history, and science. Comprehensively, the Museum seeks to educate the public and rectify the misunderstandings and prejudice associated with treatment for mental illness. The Museum Dr. Guislain attracts about 65,000 visitors each year. The museum is fully accessible for wheelchair users, and all texts are in Dutch, French and English. While locals often praise to the museum for its uniqueness, the museum appears to have cut back on permanently exhibited items and rooms while relying more on temporary exhibits with collaborating artists.
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Old Gate
15th-century gate over the canal into the city. The canal used to connect the town to the North Sea but now stops at this gate which is framed by 1960s housing blocks.
Old Saint Elisabeth Béguinage
This béguinage (Dutch: begijnhof) was founded in 1234 and was soon named after Saint-Elisabeth who was canonized in 1236. The last beguines departed from here in 1874 for the new Sint-Amandsberg béguinage.
Castle of the Counts
Built by Count Philip of Alsace, count of Flanders, soon after he returned from the Crusades in 1180 with images of similar crusader castles in the Holy Land. If its walls (2 m thick), battlements, and turrets failed to intimidate attackers, the count could always turn to a well-equipped torture chamber inside. You can view relics of the chamber in a small museum in the castle. Climb up to the ramparts of the high central building, the donjon, which has great views of Ghent's rooftops and towers.
Closed until 2026. Design museum Gent is the only design museum in Belgium. It possesses an extensive collection of Belgian design objects, supported by international pieces. The collection spans the era from the art nouveau of Henry van de Velde up to today's avant-garde design.
The House of Alijn
The House of Alijn displays cultural artifacts of Flemish recent and not so recent past. The visitor attains more insight into Flemish heritage by looking at old photograph albums, jewelry, old toys and so on. These objects reveal the spirit of the times as well as ways and customs and they remind us of the days in the past.
Meat house
See the hams hanging from the timbers of the roof which is constructed without the use of nails.