Most brooding castles imaginable

24.08.2008

Ghent has one of the most brooding castles imaginable. Philip of Alsace, Count of Flanders, built it in the 12th century. Some of the much restored castle is open to be public but what most people remember is the gruesome torture museum and the fantastic view out over the city from the top of the keep.

With museums ranging from art and design to psychiatry it is just as well that it is possible to buy a three-day museum card giving access to 15 of the most important museums and monuments.

Exploring on foot can be really tiring but another way to get a lasting impression of Ghent is to take a boat ride round its beautiful waterways, or failing that you can always relax in a horse-drawn carriage.

Ghent is a fascinating place for foodie shoppers. A good starting point is probably the Groot Vleeshuis where beneath the medieval wooden roof of the old meat market you can enjoy a meal and then shop for some of the local specialities in the enticing deli.

If you see waterzooi on the menu-try it. It is a comforting dish, almost a soup-stew made with leeks, carrots, celery, potatoes and parsley with either chicken or fish as the protein.

And then there is mustard. On the Groentenmarkt is a tiny shop-Tierentyn. You can buy all sorts of preserves here but it is most famous for its mustard, perhaps to accompany the local produced Ganda ham. Fresh mustard is made on a regular daily basis and jars can be filled to order to take home. Taste cautiously; some of the mustard is so hot it can bring tears to the eyes. Should you be in need of something to drink after all the tastings make for the bar at the end of a tiny alley off the market square. Don't ask for one of the delicious amber brews of Flanders beer for this bar sells only genever-some 200 varieties of this gin-like spirit.

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