About Ghent

Ghent

If ever in doubt about Ghent, consult the visit Ghent website.

Getting to Ghent

TRAIN
We encourage all participants to travel as sustainable as possible. The rail network in Europe is vast, but expensive, therefore booking in advance or booking through a centralised booking system can help you find the best tickets and save some money.
The train company in Belgium is called SNCB-NMBS and they provide tickets for trains within Belgium as well as for international connections between Belgium and the rest of Europe.
Brussels can easily be reached from many major European cities, and Ghent is just about 50 minutes away from Brussels by direct train.

FLIGHT
If you are flying from your point of departure, the closest major international airports to Ghent are Brussels Airport – Zaventem (BRU) and Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL).

  • From Brussels Airport (Zaventem):
    Brussels Airport is the main international hub in Belgium and offers frequent direct train connections to Gent-Sint-Pieters station (about 1 hour). Trains run several times per hour.
    You can watch this short video guide to see how to take the train from the airport to Ghent.
  • From Brussels South Charleroi Airport:
    Charleroi Airport, located south of Brussels, serves mainly low-cost airlines. To reach Ghent, you can take a direct Flibco bus (around 1.5 hours) or use a bus–train combination: take a local bus from the airport to Charleroi-Sud station, then a train to Gent-Sint-Pieters (total travel time about 2.5 hours).

For certain destinations, it may be worth considering arriving at Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS). The airport is well connected to Ghent by train, with a journey time of about 2.5 hours.

How to get around

  • Walking: The city of Ghent is not particularly large so most places can be reached in a max. 30 min. by foot. There are plenty sidewalks and pedestrian areas, but many sidewalks, in particular, can be difficult for wheel chair users or people with reduced mobility.
  • Cycling: Ghent has plenty of bike renting options, e.g. Bike point, Blue-Bike or Donkey Republic. It is easy to get around in Ghent by bike and there are also many planned routes. The bikes mostly go on the street with the cars and occasionally have dedicated lanes, but they are so common in Ghent that it is fairly safe to bike in the city. On bike you can cross most of the city in around 15 min.
  • Public transport: The city has buses and trams, that with their network covers the city well. De Lijn, the Flemish bus and tram company, has an app wherein you can buy the tickets. Alternatively, you can buy your ticket on board with contactless payment or go to one of the Lijnwinkels stores in Ghent.
  • Taxi: Taxis are readily available across the city, and app-based ride-hailing services also operate (such as Uber, Bolt), offering comfortable transport options.

What to see

The historic Ghent city centre lies north of the Campus and it is dominated by a line of cathedrals and a belfry. Of the city centre landmarks, the following is worth noticing:

  • Gravensteen is a very well kept medieval castle with a good guided tour that takes you through torture practices, medieval power struggles and the love life of the nobility.
  • Saint Bavo’s Cathedral not only houses ‘The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’ by the Van Eyck brothers, it can also boast of beautiful mosaic windows and a intricately ornamented preacher’s chair. In front of the cathedral you have an excellent view of the other two cathedrals and the belfry (Pro tip, there are many chocolate stores close by which might be expensive but they are of high quality).
  • Belfry of Ghent, can you spot the dragon on top, a famous beer of the city is named after it: Gulden Draak.
  • Graslei and Korenlei is today a tourist hotspot with many restaurants and boat tours that start here. The river Leie is flanked on both sites by historical houses whose facades tells a story of a rich commercial hub (Pro tip, the Grasbrug and Saint Michael’s bridge are good places to photograph Ghent).
  • Korenmarkt is the central square in Ghent and a good place to start your sightseeing, from here you can see or quickly visit most of the historical city of Ghent (Pro tip, on the square is the old Post Office with a nice atmosphere to sit down and have a coffee or a meal).
  • De Krook, the architecturally impressive library, is a cultural hub of Ghent and the waterfront at the foot of the library offers a place to sit and enjoy a bit of calmness.
  • Viernulvier was build for cultural experiences for the labour movements in Ghent back in the early 20th century. Today it’s an art centre with many events.
  • The Watersportbaan and Blaarmeersen are recreational and sports areas. Around the Watersportbaan there is a 5km running route and Blaarmeersen has multiple outdoor training facilities. You can also enjoy a day at the beach and a swim in the Blaarmeersen itself. Close by is also the large green area of Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen where you can see many birds and grazing animals.
  • Close to the conference venue there is also the Our Lady of Saint Peter’s Church with an adjacent Garden and Abbey, and a little further you’ll find the Citadelpark which is a green breathing space of the city, it also holds museums and even a velodrome.
  • Ghent in the evening is a sight to behold, many of the beautiful old buildings are lit up.

Events in July 2026

GENT JAZZ FESTIVAL, 2-18 JULY
Every year, in the month of July, Ghent hosts one of the most vibrant jazz festivals in Europe, featuring world-renowned legends and breakthrough artists.
For more information on the 2026 edition, check the Gent Jazz Festival website.

GENTSE FEESTEN, 17-26 JULY
The Gentse Feesten ('Ghent Festivities') is a popular cultural festival recognised as Flemish intangible heritage. It encompasses a broad and free programme featuring music, street theatre, exhibitions, fairs, parades, children's entertainment, etc. For more details on the activities and venues, view the Gentse Feesten webpage.