Belgium's most stylish autumn weekend break — and it's not Bruges The Times Laura Jackson, Deputy Head of Travel Belgium's most stylish autumn weekend break — and it's not Bruges new With a new four-room boutique hotel, fine dining with surprising views, an eye for design and an ambitious museum revamp, Ghent is Flanders's coolest canal city Ghent is a walkable city Getty images Laura Jackson , Deputy Head of Travel Wednesday October 21 2026, 5.00am BST , The Times Listen 0:00 / · 18:22 min Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save T he Gentenaars sipping canned cocktails, legs hanging over the banks of the River Leie, would not have been aware that two floors above them a woman was enjoying an alfresco bath. At 10pm, on a terrace overlooking the Belgian city, I was stretched out in a copper tub. Saturday night chatter and a busker's rendition of Fast Car drifted up from below, while above me the light of an almond-like waning gibbous moon illuminated the stepped gable of the neighbouring building. My bath was at the top of 1898 the Porter's House, a self-contained extension opened in September to the adjacent 1898 the Post, a 39-room hotel in the city's neogothic 19th-century former post office on Ghent's right bank. What was once the two-storey private home of the hotel's owners, Geert and Greet De Paepe-Kerkstoel, has been transformed into four spectacular suites. Finding the entrance to the Porter's House is a Traitors -esque quest: you know you have arrived when you spot the door of Graslei 15, above which sits a stone carving of a key that matches the emblem stamped on the hotel's keycard wallets. Most commented 1 Budget 2026 predictions: when is it and what could be announced? Economics 236 comments It is discreet, yet the Porter's House is smack in the centre of town, a ten-minute taxi ride from the station. Graslei is a 200m quay lined with medieval architecture so cinematic it feels like stumbling on to a film set where whimsical gargoyles, intricate stone reliefs and crenellations have been moulded to perfection. The Porter's House new rooms are just as theatrical. An old lift chugs its way to the second floor to room 42, where the walls are dressed in dramatic tones: the walk-in wardrobe an inky blue, the bedroom a deep racing green. A large television is mounted above the original eaves, angled towards the bed and out of immediate sight. In case an outdoor soak does not appeal, the marble bathroom contains an indoor tub, alongside a double shower and underfloor heating. The bar in 1898 the Porter's House A marble-topped bar is stocked with premixed cocktails — negronis and manhattans — while the fridge holds the hotel's own home-brewed beers. Every object feels curated without feeling staged; the wooden bedside tables, for instance, are deliberately mismatched. “I source pieces from antiques markets personally,” explains Geraldine Dohogne, the designer behind the interiors at the Porter's House and 1898 the Post. “The idea is that this feels like your house, only better.” Advertisement What you need to know Where is it? Between Brussels and Bruges in Belgium , Ghent is a walkable city, packed with the medieval stepped-gable buildings for which Flanders is renowned. There is a new place to stay, too, the Porter's House, an annexe of 1898 the Post Hotel How to get there Take the Eurostar or fly to Brussels. Then get a connecting train to Gent-Sint-Pieters station Insider tip A CityCard will get your free entry to most museums — apart from the Ghent Altarpiece (48 hours ￡42; visit.gent.be) How to do it Our in-house agency Times Holidays can help you book your own fully customisable version of Laura's itinerary, tailored to your specific interests Other rooms in the house include a two-bedroom family suite with its own terrace, copper tub and sauna, another double room and a junior suite. The Porter's House can be booked by room or a takeover of the whole building. “It's somewhere you can bring your family, friends, nannies and security,” Damien Brunin, the general manager, tells me. The Graslei Terrace Suite It is early days and there are a few teething issues. There are two baths but neither bath oil nor foam; my open-air soak is in posh but not-foamy-enough Guerlain shower gel. When I attempt to order ice for the cocktails, the in-room tablet's AI chatbot isn't having any of it. That is easily resolved. I head next door to the cosy Cobbler bar on the second floor of 1898 the Post and get stuck into a negroni negenduust garnished with a purple cuberdon — Ghent's classic nose-shaped confectionery filled with sweet, raspberry-flavoured syrup. Top stories 1 10 shows to watch after Slow Horses TV & Radio 2 Tripsnacking? Finally a travel trend I can get on board with Advice 3 17 of the best cruise lines for solo travellers Cruises 4 This cosy hotel is perfect for an autumnal trip to the Lake District Lake District 5 How to see the northern lights: 15 top tips Adventure Top stories 1 Prepare now for the inheritance tax mess coming for your pension Tax Those grumbles aside, this is a marvellous place to stay. Breakfast next door, also served in the Cobbler, is compact but well executed, with homemade granola, platters of sliced fruit and mini boules de Berlin. The scrambled eggs, cooked to order, are voluminous. While my personal preference is a cafetière, the two Swiss-made bean-to-cup machines spout surprisingly good black coffee. The bathroom in the Graslei Terrace Suite Ghent's latest designs Step outside the front door and you're immediately in the city's historic central district. Once dubbed the Medieval Manhattan, renewal continues apace. The skyline is speckled with cranes and scaffolding set against the gnarly turrets and spirelets. Works along Graslei to improve access to the river mean the promenade is partially closed north of the Porter's House, while across the water several historic façades are propped up by structural scaffolding awaiting restoration. One of the city's big recent revamps is the Design Museum Gent. Closed for four years for a ￡17 million redevelopment, it features a striking new wing, DING (Design in Gent), designed by the London architects Carmody Groarke. The opening party on October 3 was quite the bash, with local heroes 2manyDJs (and their Soulwax alter-egos) delivering a rooftop set to crowds that packed Drabstraat and the surrounding streets. Advertisement Rather than appearing tacked on, the new structure links the museum's existing wings — the 18th-century Hôtel de Coninck and the 1992 wing — forming a central courtyard. “The museum invites everyone to think about design, what works and what doesn't,” says Bieke Vermeire, the museum's project co-ordinator. “Everything has been designed at some point — teapots, tables and toys — and that means it can be redesigned to be more sustainable.” That ethos extends to the new building, which was constructed using lime-cured bricks made from waste, which are compacted rather than kiln-fired. Once past the entrance, marked by an intricate 3D-printed aluminium curtain by the design studio Unfold, the atmosphere is unpretentious. I watched dozens of children beavering away on a Saturday afternoon, embroidering, assembling cardboard robots and making an absolute mess. Adjoining galleries showcase work from 30 local designers alongside furniture and silverware drawn from the museum's 24,000-piece permanent collection. Through adult eyes it is a design institution; for children an imaginative play centre. Read more Europe's best place for shopping? It's Antwerp Skip the inland sights and go to Belgium for its glorious beaches The best affordable city breaks in Europe A five-course tasting menu There is no lunch or dinner restaurant at 1898 the Post or the Porter's House, but Ghent has an impressive culinary scene — provided you steer clear of the tourist traps encircling the Korenmarkt (the brasserie Du Progrès, a longstanding family-run bistro, is the exception to the rule). I was keen to try Dapper, run by the chef Nick Dapper and housed inside the Planet Group Arena, home ground of the football club KAA Gent. The last meal I had at a match was a pie featuring unnamed meat and washed down with Bovril, but Dapper's cooking is top-flight. The five-course tasting menu opens with an oyster dressed in frozen horseradish before moving on to sea bass sculpted like a ship with strands of crisp kelp. There are supplementary upgrades: yes to the langoustines, hell no to the wagyu — the local Flemish polder beef served with celeriac crisps is more than rich enough to bring on the meat sweats (five courses ￡105; restaurantdapper.com). It is all served in a fourth-floor dining room that feels like it shouldn't be overlooking the pitch, which, lit after dark by UV lights on wheeled rigs, looks like an ambient art installation. One-nil to Ghent. All recommendations within this article are informed by independent expert editorial opinion. This article contains affiliate links and links to our in-house travel agency, Times Holidays, all of which will earn us revenue. Advertisement Laura Jackson was a guest of 1898 the Porter's House, which has room-only doubles from ￡185 (1898thepost.com) and Visit Ghent ( visitghent.be ). Take the train via Paris Our in-house agency Times Holidays can help you book your own fully customisable version of Laura's itinerary, tailored to your specific interests What to see and where to eat in Ghent Gravensteen Gravensteen — the Castle of the Counts Alamy From the outside, Gravensteen — the Castle of the Counts — looks like the sort of grey stone fortress beloved of school field trips. Built in 1180 by Philip of Alsace to assert authority over Ghent's rebellious townspeople, the castle still provides an element of peril for the modern visitor thanks to the raised ramparts with no barriers leaving an exposed 10ft drop into the bailey. Inside, winding staircases lead through grand halls and vaulted chambers. Two audio guides are available: the conventional tour or an irreverent, witty version voiced by the Flemish comedian Wouter Deprez (￡11; gravensteen.stad.gent). The Ghent Altarpiece Given the altarpiece, also known as Adoration of the Mystic Lamb , is a 12-panelled, 11.5ft by 15ft foldable masterpiece, it's a something of a shock that the central sheep is a tiny, fluffy little thing with a near human expression. Hubert and Jan Van Eyck's 1432 polyptych in the Sacrament Chapel of St Bavo's Cathedral also depicts Mary, John the Baptist, Adam and Eve and music-making angels in striking greens and reds. Entry to the cathedral is free, but the Mystic Lamb has an extra charge. While standard tickets may be available on the door, book ahead, especially for the VR headset tour. Note the altarpiece is still undergoing a restoration until 2027 (￡14; sintbaafskathedraal.be). Arnold Vander Haeghen House The Arnold Vander Haeghen House is often overlooked A tiny, often overlooked museum that occupies the ground floor of an 18th-century house and is only open from 2pm to 6pm Friday to Sunday. Come for the chinoiserie — the main salon has an astonishing floor-to-ceiling silk depicting rural life in China, an artwork put in place in the 1770s by the cotton merchant Josse Clemmen. It's in amazing condition thanks to the care from Haeghen, whose family later owned the house (free; historischehuizen.stad.gent). Advertisement Electric River Boat Tour Think you aren't the kind of person who would find masonry joints on roofs interesting? This 40-minute ride in an electric boat along the Leie, with some sideways sailing into the canals, will inspire even the most reluctant Ghent gable geek. Buy tickets just below the Koreniei Bridge on the left bank. A guide runs through the history of the buildings that line Graslei — eyes peeled for the oldest gable in Ghent, dating from the late 1200s, now a burger restaurant. Downstream is the Groot Vleeshuis meat market in a long building with a slate roof so lofty you wonder how it doesn't tumble into the river (￡10; debootjesvangent.be). Sunday Markets The flower market on Kouter Square Alamy On Sundays most shops are closed in Ghent, which is all the more reason to head to one of the outdoor markets. On Kouter Square the flower market sells seasonal blooms that might include gerberas, roses, calathea house plants and, in autumn, tulip bulbs. Don't miss Kiosk at the market's eastern side for a swift Omer beer (8 per cent) and half a dozen oysters of the day. If you've ever wanted to own a typewriter, mismatched chairs and some farcical artworks then the second-hand market at Beverhoutplein is also great for a rummage and a 15-minute walk from Kouter Square. Where to eat and drink Giri This cheerful neighbourhood café is an ideal weekend spot only serving brunch at weekends until 2.45pm — perfect timing if you're arriving on the Saturday morning Eurostar. Plates include scrambled eggs, pancakes and toasted burrata sandwiches but our vote goes to the spitburger — usually a late-night snack in Ghent — with a slab of soft smoked pork, black pepper sauce and salad in a bun (mains from ￡10; giri.be). Ghent is full of excellent places to eat and drink Getty images Chapeluur In a pretty former apothecary, Chapeluur is dedicated to croquettes. On the menu are pulled pork, mac and cheese and chicken curry croquettes, but the must try are the garnaalkroketten made with tiny north sea grey shrimps in a bechamel sauce with a shatteringly crisp coating (lunch from ￡15; chapeluur.eu). Advertisement Frituur Frans Hooiaard When you want chips any time from 8am to midnight, this open-fronted, no-frills fryer serves them from a building dating from 1714 with stained-glass windows. Option paralysis is impossible — the menu is chips, sausages, burgers and julientje (chips topped with a beefy sauce). A “small” cone of chips costs just ￡3 and is a struggle for two people to finish. Ketchup is sacrilege, mayonnaise the only true option (@frituurfranshooiaard). Trollekelder Even before you've ordered a can of Yak — a 7 per cent ABV beer produced by Stroom Brouwers — this bar will seem improbably eccentric. Yes, those really are hairdressing mannequin heads on a shelf above the bar, a giant bellows is indeed hanging from the ceiling and an unfathomable number of trolls with pointy neon hair are on display. The selection of about 300 excellent beers, whether on tap, in bottles or cans, is less bonkers than the decor — or the Escher-like stairs that lead to several mezzanines — suggests (beers from ￡5; Sint-Jacobs 17). Epiphany's Kitchen On Burgstraat, Epiphany Vanderhaeghen's restaurant champions plant-forward, gluten-free dining with optional meat and seafood additions. Signature plates include Meet the Holsteins (Holstein beef carpaccio), Cheesus Crust (croquettes made with cashew cheese) and the Peter Rabbit pasta bowl with asparagus, courgette, chicken and a white wine sauce. The dining room is atmospheric and buzzy with exposed blue plaster walls, velvet seating and an indoor fountain (mains from ￡20; epiphanyskitchen.com). Travel Destinations Europe Belgium Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save Promoted Content Previous Article Next Article