Fodor's Expert Review Vrijdagmarkt

The largest market in town is the attractive and historic Vrijdagmarkt, held Friday 7:30–1 and (as a smaller version) Saturday 11–6:30. This huge square is where leaders have rallied the people of Ghent from the Middle Ages to the present day. It is dominated by a turret that was part of the tanner's guild house, and the statue in the middle is of Jacob van Artevelde, who led a rebellion starting here in 1338, defending the neutrality of the city and Flanders during the Hundred Years' War. These days, you're more likely to march off with a supply of Gentse mokken (syrup-soaked biscuits) or the famously strong Ghent mustard than in anger.