Ghent

I was going to make one big post about our weekend in Belgium, before I realized that I took nearly 400 photos from a two-day trip...oops! So, here's just a few pictures from our trip to Ghent, Belgium.

Our roommate getaway to Belgium was pretty last-minute and we didn't really plan anything other than our bus tickets and arranging to stay with a friend of a friend (which ended up being perfect). Which is why, Saturday night after arriving we decided we were going to visit Ghent and Bruges in the same day. While Belgium is still a tiny country, undertaking two cities in one day was pretty ambitious on our part. But hey, this semester in Europe is all about going with the flow, so why not?

We headed out bright and early on what ended up being the only sunny day we saw in Belgium. Ghent was closer to our home base, Brussels, so we made it our first stop.

I knew absolutely nothing about Ghent when I got off the train. I had no idea what there was to see, do, or if things would even be open on a Sunday. We arrived and figured we would wander towards the city center. 

15 minutes later and we were in love with Ghent. It was like stepping into a medieval fairy tale or something straight out of a classic Disney movie. Yes, it probably helped that it was the first day all week the sun had been shining and we were able to take our coats off, but still, Ghent was perfect. 

After wandering around for a few minutes we headed towards the old castle in the center of Ghent, and figured it was worth a visit since we had nothing else planned. 

The castle was built in the 12th century and is known as 'The Castle of the Counts.' While I don't have any photos of the outside, it doesn't matter because....

LOOK AT THIS VIEW.

You wind your way through the castle, up tiny spiral staircases and through huge ballrooms with fireplaces that reach the ceiling, until you reach the ramparts of the castle, where you can wander along the edge of the roof, seeing all of Ghent for miles around you. 

Feeling like princesses in our castle. 

Ghent was completely unexpected but well worth the short train ride from Brussels. If you have even half a day to spare, make some time to see the city! I would love to go back on a weekday when more things are open and I can explore a little more!

This was just the first half of our day, I'll have more posts up soon from the rest of our trip to Belgium and a few Amsterdam adventures! And...we're headed to Prague this weekend (cannot wait), so if anyone has suggestions for things to do I would love to hear!