Ghent Bicycles 2021

Van Houttestraat

The sub-municipality of Ghent, Gentbrugge, became famous with the cultivation of flowers. Before this area became an industrial area, this was an agricultural area. In the year 1835, the West-Flemish entrepreneur Loewijk Van Houtte from Ypres, started up his flower and plant-company on the borders of the river the Schelde. Later on he became mayor of Ghent. You can see his statue in the street named after him.

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Sint-Pietersplein

The name 'Gent' is derived from the Celtic 'Ganda', which meant confluence. This place is the location of the confluence of the two rivers the Leie and De Schelde. It was exactly at the confluence of these two rivers that the abbey of Sint-Baafs was founded.

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Bisdomplein

From here, between the statue of the brother Van Eyck and the "Vijt-chapel" of the Kathedral, a couple of old ladies saw a light shining in the chapel, at the evening of the disappearance of a panel of the painting of the "Lam Gods". Althought they thought it was strange, they suspected no bad and didn't inform the police. They continued their way to their house at the "Bisdomplein". The "Vijt"-chapel was the place where the original painting was located. Now, a copy of the painting can be admired there. The original can be seen at the back of the kathedral in a well-prtected place. You can reconize the "Vijt"-chapel easily:a white lamb has been painted on one of the windows.

Author: Dromos
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Kalandeberg

Artevelde negotiated with the English king Edward III a neutral position for Ghent in the French-English war. Due to this agreement, the Ghents wool-import was insured, and as such also the core of the linnen-activity in Ghent. From pure gratitude, the people from Ghent crowned the English king on the Friday market as king of France. Edward the 3rd treated Artevelde as a prince of Flanders', which didn't please everybody. Behind the back of the rulers of Ghent, Artevelde promissed the English king financial support to fund his war against France. This killed his position and in 1343 Artevelde had to flee to England. His return in 1345 provoked a revolt of the weavers and Artevelde ot killed near his house on the Kalandeberg.

Author: Vizit
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Werregarenstraat

Spraying graffiti is illegal. Although the punishments are severe, many fronts and gables got colored by grafiti in Ghent. A few years ago, Rudy Van Quaquebeke, took the initiative to create a few areas where spraying graffiti was allowed. The Werregarenstraatje is one of these areas. They even provided paint for free. The result was spectacular. A lot of places were nos uffering anymore from graffiti attacks. Graffiti seems to be a contemporary plague, but at the beginning of our era, this was already a known phenomenon. Our Roman ancestors had the custom to put texts on the walls of the towns. The word graffiti' is coming from the Latin graffiari', which means to scratch. This more new form of graffiti came over from New York of the years 60.

Author: Vizit
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Belfry of Ghent

The belfrey acted as a watchtower and was populated by a hand-full guards. In case of fire or other danger, these men sound the storm bell, called "Klokke Roeland". These guards were replaced later on, by stone copies . You can see a set of four on the corners of the belrey. They became the symbol of a local bank "Gemeentekrediet", and where called by the locals as "Gemeentenaarkes". They are also called the "pot-crappers" or "kanneschijters" because of the following reason: they had to climb about 200 stairs before they reached their post. Because they wre not allowed to leave their post, they had to find a solution for the "full bladder"-problem. Therefore, they took along a pot.

Author: Vizit
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Mammelokker

Above the door, you see a slightly erotic image: You see a squatted man sucking the breast of a woman. The man with the beard is Simon who lived somewhere in Greece in the past. He was considered as one of the leaders of a riot against the king. For his act, he was condemned to starvation. The only privilege he had was to have one daily visitor in the cell. Simon got each day a visit of his daughter "Pero". Ofcourse, the guards checked if she didn't smuggle food inside, but they never found something. Nevertheless, the man kept on being alive, even after several weeks. The guards decided to peek through the keyhole, and they saw the scene represented above. The daughter, who just became a mother, was breastfeeding her father. The king, moved by the tale, decided to let Simon free. For the locals, this story is called the "mammelokker", which is the local dialect for the "breast-sucker".

Author: Vizit
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Aula

A few years ago, in the spring of 2000, an art-exhibition called Over the edges' was set up in Ghent by the international but from Belgian origin modern-art-gourou Jan Hoet. During that exhibition, the famous modern art artist Jan Fabre went for some "over the edges" and wrapped the pilars of the Aula with bacon from Ghent (Gandaham).

Author: Vizit
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Opera

The architect Louis Roelandt was appointed to construct Le Grand Théâtre',which later became the opera. He also had to create the neighouring streets and the courthouse. The piece which was allocated for the theater was long but particularly narrow. Therefore, he constructed several functional places next to eachother: the reception, an auditorium, the scene, the foyer and the concert hall. The front shows fabulous animals, the muses of music, theatre and dance. At the other side of the street, a unified building in neoclassical style was also constructed, to give the whole a harmoniuous look.

Author: Vizit
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RouteYou

RouteYou is a digital cartography & IT company that created a platform for recreational and tourist activities such as city walks, nature walks, recreational cycling, sporting cycling, and touring by motorcycle or car. For more information www.routeyou.com

Author: Dromos
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Sint-Baafskathedraal

The cathedral was once no more than a small parish church. But nothing remains of the original chapel consecrated in 942. The oldest parts of the cathedral are two Romanesque aisles in the crypt. They date from 1150. When, in 1540, Charles V had the nearby Abbey of St Bavo demolished to build the Spaniards Castle, both the monks and their relics (including a bone from St Bavos upper arm) took shelter here in this church. When the diocese of Ghent was established in 1561 the church automatically became a cathedral (cathedra means the bishops seat). Inside the cathedral you will find dozens of art treasures to captivate you. In addition to such delights as the overpowering 1745 rococo pulpit and a superb Rubens, this cathedral is privileged to be the home of the most important work in the history of Flemish art: The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by the Van Eyck brothers.

Author: Dromos
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Gravensteen van Gent

The imposing Castle of the Counts, built in 1180, now looms up in front of you. Nowhere else in the world will you find such a massive fortress in the centre of a city. Anyone who visits Ghent without going inside deserves the thumbscrews, the dungeon or perhaps even the guillotine (last used in 1861), all of which are on display inside. While you stand looking at the castle from the counts bailey, you might almost forget you were in the 21st century. But Ghent is a living city that not only preserves its historical heritage, but also has an eye to the future. One example is the giant spiders web, a remnant of an international art event, and like the fortress itself made to stand the test of time.

Author: Dromos
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Gentbruggekouter

The POI 'Gentbruggekouter' is located in Gent.

Author: robe819@hotmail.com
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Ottenstadion

The Jules Otten Stadion is the home of football club KAA Gent, also known as "the Buffaloes". "The Buffaloes" was coined after a visit of the original Buffalo Bill and his Wild West circus to the city of Ghent in the early 1900s.

Author: Dromos
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Keizerpark

The Keizerpark is one of the most beautiful cityparks in Ghent. The Keizerpark slopes to the west toward the Scheldt as a semi-natural valley wall. A great place to enjoy the sunset on a sunny day.

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SMAK

S.M.A.K. owns one of the most important collections of contemporary art in Western Europe. The collection is unique and has an international reputation, with local art being set in the context of international developments since 1945. In addition to a number of prominent movements such as Cobra, Pop Art, Minimal Art, Conceptual Art and Arte Povera, many of the artists represented have in the meantime come to assume definitive international status. Extra information: -Audio guide -Educational program -Individual tour -Group tour -Shop -Accessible to disabled persons -Cloakroom Contact: - SMAK - Citadelpark, 9000 Gent - Tel: +32 9 221 17 03 - E-Mail: museum.smak@gent.be - Web: www.smak.be

Author: Westtoer's bezienswaardigheden
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Portus Ganda

Portus Ganda is now a marina that is constructed near the place where Gent was created, namely, at the confluence of the Lys and Scheldt. It is also a delightful place to take a break on a sunny afternoon or evening.

Author: Dromos
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Bijlokemuseum

The STAM or the Ghent City Museum is a must to see during a visit to Ghent. The museum brings the history of Ghent in a stunning interactive manner. It is part of the Abbey Bijloke which in itself is worth a visit. One of the most popular rooms in the museum is the one where you walk on an aerial photograph and see all the details of the city.

Author: Dromos
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STAM

STAM is a heritage forum, a springboard to Ghent's other cultural attractions and a platform for an active heritage policy. STAM presents the story of the city of Ghent on the Bijloke site. A permanent circuit leads visitors along a chronological trail of objects and multimedia which trace the development and growth of Ghent. Temporary exhibitions explore the concept of 'urbanity' from different angles. Extra information: -Individual tour -Group tour -Shop -Accessible to disabled persons -Cloakroom

Author: Westtoer's bezienswaardigheden
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Kunstencentrum Vooruit

Le Vooruit était à l’origine le centre des fêtes et des arts du mouvement des ouvriers gantois, avec une salle des fêtes (salle de bal), un cinéma, une troupe de théâtre, etc. Actuellement, le local des fêtes est utilisé par l’asbl Kunstencentrum Vooruit. Elle organise dans les 5 principales salles du bâtiment (Balzaal, Theaterzaal, Domzaal, Concertzaal et het Café) de nombreux événements tels que débats, soirées littéraires, concerts, soirées dansantes, spectacles de scène, de danse.

Author: Westtoer's bezienswaardigheden
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Gent Sint-Pieters

The construction of the old Post-office building was one of the large projects for the world exhibition of the year 1913 which was held in Ghent. The architect, Cloquet, who also constructed the main railwaystation of Ghent, had a romantic soul. He was fascinated by the orient and was fanatical about all neo-styles. You can clearly see this in the railway station. The conservative, catholic bourgeoisie of Ghent was very much in favour of this neo-style. The façade of the former post-office building shows the heads of the International Postorganisation. Totally right at the top on the façade, a smaller image can be seen. Some think that this represent the lover of the architect, others think this represents Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

Author: Vizit
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Kerk van Gentbrugge

The sub-municipality of Ghent, Gentbrugge, became famous with the cultivation of flowers. Before this area became an industrial area, this was an agricultural area. In the year 1835, the West-Flemish entrepreneur Loewijk Van Houtte from Ypres, started up his flower and plant-company on the borders of the river the Schelde. Later on he became mayor of Ghent. You can see his statue in the street named after him.

Author: Dromos
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Boekentoren

The famous Belgian architect Henry Vande Velde was born in Antwerp on april 3 1863. He created the even more famous Booktower or Boekentoren of Ghent. In 1900, he moved his working place to Germany. As a result, he was not trusted from both sides durint World War I. During the second World War, he was adviser for the reconstruction of Belgium. Due to that, he was accused of collaboration and left Belgium. He died in 1957 and is burried in Switserland in Oberagen.

Author: Dromos
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Saint Bavo's Abbey

Saint Bavo's Abbey is a former abbey in the currently Belgian city of Ghent. It was founded in the 7th century by Saint Amand, who also founded Saint Peter's Abbey, Ghent, near the confluence of the Leie and Scheldt rivers. Originally, the abbey was also called Ganda, a name of Celtic origin, meaning "river mouth", referring to the Leie river debouching into the Scheldt river.
In the 9th century, the abbey was raided twice by Vikings, which made the monks flee to Laon. After an absence of nearly 50 years, they came back to Ghent and re-established the abbey. The German emperor Otto II saw the abbey as a strategical defense point on the Scheldt river in his eternal conflict with Louis V of France.

Author: Wikipedia
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Saint Peter's Abbey

Saint Peter's Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey in Ghent, Belgium, now a museum and exhibition centre.
Saint Peter's was founded in the late 7th century by Amandus, a missionary sent by the Frankish kings to Christianize the pagan inhabitants of the region, who founded two monasteries in the area, St. Bavo's, and Saint Peter's on the Blandijnberg. During the winter of 879-80, the abbey was raided and plundered by the Normans, and it remained relatively poor until the 10th century, when donations of property and relics by Count Arnulf I considerably enriched it, as did further donations by Arnulf's cousin King Edgar of England. By the second half of the century it was the wealthiest abbey in Flanders, and the reputation of the abbey school extended far beyond the town. In 984, Gerbert of Aurillac, director of the cathedral school of Reims, inquired whether students from Reims could be admitted to Saint Peter's, and its renown as a centre of artes liberales continued into the 11th century. Saint Peter's, through its ownership of large tracts of land, also played a pioneering role in cultivation during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, transforming forests, moors and marshes into farmland. In the fifteenth century a large scale programme of construction created the abbey library and scriptorium, enlarged the refectory, and the abbey church and other buildings were considerably beautified.

Author: Wikipedia
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Ghent Bicycles 2021

Author

Trail stats

Itinerary description

Waypoints

Van Houttestraat

Sint-Pietersplein

Bisdomplein

Kalandeberg

Werregarenstraat

Belfry of Ghent

Mammelokker

Aula

Opera

RouteYou

Sint-Baafskathedraal

Gravensteen van Gent

Gentbruggekouter

Ottenstadion

Keizerpark

SMAK

Portus Ganda

Bijlokemuseum

STAM

Kunstencentrum Vooruit

Gent Sint-Pieters

Kerk van Gentbrugge

Boekentoren

Saint Bavo's Abbey

Saint Peter's Abbey

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