Ghent? Ghent, Belgium where is that? You may of heard of Brugge, but Ghent (pictured above) is about half an hour west of Brussels on the way to Bruges. Like Amsterdam it is built around canals, water being the cheapest way to move goods in the Medieval period, due to lack of good roads and the marvel of the combustion engine. It's probably better if I just pull down a map (pictured below).
A student of history looking at that map might recognise it as probably the most fought over area in Europe. The bloodiest battles of World War 1 were fought here. You can see Arnhem up there in the top right, 'the bridge too far', of the ill fated parachute operation of World War 2. Of course Waterloo was fought within 20 km of Brussels (you can catch the train there to see the battlefield). Being the 'Crossroads of Europe' means there have been many battles, because it is a transport hub. It is convenient location for Europe's capital or enemy armies to move through.
To get to Ghent the fastest way is by the fast train to Brussels, which takes about an hour from Amsterdam, and then it is a half hour local train ride to Ghent. From Brussels you can also catch a fast train to London, Paris, or head east into Germany. Because it so convenient many visitors choose to stay overnight and explore Brussels or continue onto Brugge or Ghent.
However, I'm getting ahead of myself, because our train didn't leave until 4.30pm I had sometime to visit a museum. I thought I had to see one of the 40 odd museums in Amsterdam, so I chose the little known Stedelijk museum of modern art. Entry is only 7.50 Euros. If you keep going past the Stedelijk you will reach the number 1 attraction The Rijksmuseum.
To get out of Amsterdam by train you will have to make your way to Amsterdam Centraal, which is not a spelling error but how they spell it in Amsterdam. The cheapest way to get there is by tram or bus. If you have to make several journeys in a day it is probably best to get 7.50 Euro all day ticket on the tram. Remember, that taxis are expensive with a 7.50 Euro flag fall. You can just buy the tickets on board the tram.
Now, it gets a bit confusing when you have to catch the train to Brussels Airport. As you enter the airport you will see Burger King. Platforms 5 & 6 will take you to Brussels. The ramps down to the subway are located next to Burger King. We made our 4.30pm train with three minutes to spare. No sweat.
Brussels central train station, befitting 'the Crossroads of Europe" is massive. You will have to work out what platform your connecting train is leaving from, but if you have time you can pick up a coffee from Starbucks, and a Belgian waffle in the station.
We were met at Ghent station by our nice Airbnb host who drove us to our apartment in the historic old section of Ghent. When people are new to Airbnb they tend to put the extra effort in, and our host was fantastic. Actually, everybody has been great. I strongly recommend http://www.airbnb.com for short or long term accomodation. As you can see it's worked really well on this trip.
Ghent is beautiful, and so quiet. We went out to dinner for a nice steak tartare and french fries (a Belgian speciality). If you have been to Brugge, then why not try Ghent or Gent?
TRAVEL INFO
For everything you need to know about Amsterdam - http://www.iamsterdam.com/
Tourist information for Belgium - http://www.visitbelgium.com/
Ghent, Belgium - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/belgium/flanders/ghent
Travel Tips:
- Remember trains leave on time, so make sure you leave yourself enough time to make all the connections.
- Consider staying the night in Brussels to explore this famous city.
- Visit Ghent
