Ghent’s biggest attractions sit close enough together that a single walk covers most of them, which is unusual for a city with this much actually worth stopping for. Graslei and Korenlei These facing quays along the Leie hold one of Europe’s most complete runs of 12th- to 17th-century stepped-gable guildhalls, including the Romanesque Spijker grain warehouse and the 1531 Guildhouse of the Free Boatmen. Nothing here needs a ticket; the whole point is walking the water’s edge and looking up.

Search for a Ghent zoo and you’ll find plenty of pages describing one. Ghent does not have a municipal zoo or a marine park; travelers looking for that kind of large-scale zoological exhibit go to Antwerp Zoo or Pairi Daiza instead, both outside the city. Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen Nature Reserve What Ghent actually has is a genuine 220-hectare protected wetland and meadow reserve about 3km west of the center, with quiet boardwalks and bird hides overlooking the marshland.