3 Best Sights in Ghent and the Leie, Belgium

The begijnhofs (“beguinages” in French) were home to religious-minded women who wanted a life of devotion to God without having to take the Orders (of fidelity and poverty) that nuns were beholden to. This UNESCO-listed begijnhof was originally formed in 1288, and in its 17th-century heyday was home to some 200 beguines. The last beguine here died in 1975, but you’ll find an interesting museum spread across a pair of houses that covers the life of the beguines and local folklore.  

The dominant building on the market square is the Stadhuis (Town Hall), a fairy-tale-like medieval aldermen house. Its turrets once ran to street level, but various sieges and fires have taken their toll. It has been frequently redesigned, but gained its current neo-Gothic facade in 1891. The architect drew inspiration from a 17th-century engraving of the building and sought to give it back its medieval charm, sapped by endless renovations. Beside it you'll find a pair of replica fountains: the Mannekin Pis and the Marbol, the original of which dates back to 1392.

Overlooking the Grotemarkt stands the Stadhuis (town hall) and belfry. It was built originally as a cloth hall in the 14th century. However, like the rest of the town, it was destroyed in World War I, the belfry having collapsed onto the market square below. Only the outer walls and a few paintings survived. It was restored in the 1920s, when a new 49-bell carillon was bought for the belfry, which has recently also opened to visitors---it's 109 steps if you want to climb to the top for the view.