FAMOUS FOR ITS beer, artisanal chocolatiers, scenic canals and cyclists clattering over cobblestone streets, the Belgian city of Ghent is Dutch-speaking — specifically Flemish Dutch.
Ghent (Gent in Dutch), in the Flanders region and just 35 minutes by train from French-speaking Brussels, offers a more relaxed atmosphere than Amsterdam. Its bike paths and waterways are less crowded, and visitors typically find shorter lines at museums and restaurants and a calmer city rhythm.
Many business travelers start their stay at Hotel NH Gent Belfort. Located a two-minute walk from Sint-Baafsplein, one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval squares, this 174-room hotel is also within walking distance of Het Pand Congress Center and about 10 minutes by taxi from the Gent International Convention Center.
NH Gent Belfort caters to business needs with two boardrooms (each seating up to 12) and an outdoor patio for catered breakfasts during summer. The hotel also offers a private, vaulted cellar for client entertaining, and its entrance sits in the pedestrian zone, so traffic noise is minimal.
Another upscale option is the 143-room Ghent Marriott Hotel, located along the Leie River. Within easy walking distance of many meeting venues and historic sites, the Marriott provides nine event rooms suitable for small- to mid-sized conferences and board meetings, plus the Midtown Grill steak restaurant for lunches and dinners.
For post-breakfast gatherings, consider Het Pand Congress Center. Housed in a former 15th-century Dominican monastery on the banks of the Leie, Het Pand is a frequently rented venue operated by Ghent University. It offers 10 function rooms—three with natural light—along with museum collections, exhibition spaces and a restaurant with professional catering.
Brasserie ABA-Jour sign
PHOTO: © RON BERNTHAL,
After a morning meeting, cross the Leie to ABA-Jour, a small bar-restaurant with a fine selection of Belgian beer and regional dishes. Choose the quiet riverside terrace or a shaded street-side table. ABA-Jour’s relaxed atmosphere makes it ideal for solo lunches or meetings with local contacts.
Build time into your schedule for short sightseeing: walk, cycle or take a 40-minute narrated boat tour along the Leie. These tours drift past the Graslei’s historic guild houses, the old meat market and the imposing Castle of the Counts, whose walls date back to 1180.
The Capitole Theatre, a 1930s cinema with Art Deco décor, is a centrally located option for meetings and events, offering function rooms, bars and a restaurant. Another strong choice is the Museum of Industry, a converted red-brick cotton mill near the Leie. Its permanent exhibits explain Ghent’s textile heritage, and the top floor offers broad city views. The museum café, Bar Mitte, serves meals and has a pleasant sun terrace.
Food and local specialties are highlights of any visit. Oud Huis Himschoot, Ghent’s oldest bakery founded in 1880, is perfect for bread, pastries and the regional mastel—a small, cinnamon-laced bread similar to brioche. Locals often split a mastel, add butter and sugar, and warm it, but it’s enjoyable straight from the bakery as well.
Chocolate lovers should visit family-run Daskalidès, making confections in Ghent since 1931, including the merveilleux—chocolate layered on hazelnut paste. Petite Normandie stocks baguettes, Belgian Gouda, strong Herve cheese and creamy Passendale. For a sweet, cone-shaped treat, sample the purple neuzekes (little noses) sold from street carts.
At the Groentenmarkt, a vegetable market since the 18th century, Vve Tierenteyn-Verlent has produced its thick, handmade mustard on the same spot since 1790 and remains a local favorite. Across the square, Het Groot Vleeshuis—the former Great Butcher’s Hall—displays dozens of salted Ganda hams hanging from 15th-century beams. The adjoining pub serves fresh slices of Ganda ham and tall glasses of Belgian beer.
If your schedule allows, explore the Old Dockyards district (Oude Dokken) east of the center. Once a rundown port, the area has been revitalized with new housing, offices, retail and cultural spaces. Today it buzzes with galleries, cafés and maritime art. For creative events or product launches, the Noah Gent Lunch Bar & Event Space offers a stylish boat venue on the Handelsdok canal, blending design-forward interiors with waterfront views.