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Langemunt and Veldstraat are the major shopping streets. Smart fashion boutiques cluster along Voldersstraat, while Brabantdam and Vlaanderenstraat serve up a couture blizzard of designer stores. Plenty of vintage, antiques, and secondhand shopping is to be found in Oudberg and the area around Sint-Jacobskirk, on Serpentstraat, Baudelostraat, and Ottgracht. But for something a little different, there are an increasing number of artisan food shops worth exploring in Ghent, from the Gruut Brewery (see Nightlife) to some local gems that have been perfecting their recipes for hundreds of years.
This chic modern-art gallery, opposite the church, is hard to miss. Works by a number of Belgian and South African artists (it has another branch in Cape Town) scatter its exterior, including sculptures by Marieke Prinsloo-Rowe, whose playful bronze “swimmers” can also be seen peering out from a nearby bar. Other artists sold in the past include Guy du Toit, Samuel Allerton, and Olivier Pauwels.
An art dealer with a particular interest in the works of the Latem Schools of the early 20th century and their Flemish predecessors. While this gallery (which only opens on weekends) is primarily a seller to private collectors, it also runs regular exhibitions, featuring artists such as Emile Claus, Constant Permeke, Gustave De Smet, and Albert Servaes.
