To really get into the Christmas card mood, swing by the Kerstmarkt of Ghent. Over 130 shacks are spread out from the St. Baafsplein over the Botermarkt through Little Turkey to the end of the Korenmarkt. There is loads to see, eat and drink. After you can go ice skating, to lose all the weight you gained and if you really want to, have a fake snow snowball fight ;). MERRY CHRISTMAS!

If you're in Ghent for New Years Eve, you might as well come and see the fireworks. Afterwards you can join in on the dozens of parties going on trough the city. Dance ti'll the early morning and if you're lucky you just might pick up a local! ;) Check the map for tips.

Ten days a year, Ghent is the centre of the world (at least, so we like to think ourselves). The whole historical city centre gets bulldozed by street theatre, concerts, alcohol and a few hundred thousand people. Almost everything is for FREE.
The Ghent Festival is one of the craziest city festivals in Europe, and we’re glad the millions of European tourists haven’t found out yet. Once you’ve seen the sun rise on the party crowd after a night out, you probably will never want to miss it again.

TIP: During the Ghent Festival, finding a cheap bed really means trouble. Four solutions:
1)Go to the campsite (you cannot book in advance there during the festival).
2) Sleep in a Bruges hostel during the day, and
come and party in Ghent at night. It’s only about twenty minutes by train.
3) Try www.couchsurfing.org
4) Don’t sleep.


WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! (24 JULY - 15 AUGUST)
Don’t come to Ghent in the first half of August! The whole town is asleep after the festival, and almost everything is closed (except for the museums and one or two bars).

Don’t come to Ghent in the first half of August! The whole town is asleep after the festival, and almost everything is closed (except for the museums and one or two bars).