People rarely go through the small gate at Onderstraat 22 in Ghent. It leads into the secret garden of the Hof van Rijhove.
This is one of the most peaceful spots in the city, except when children at the nearby school spill out into the playground.
The high walls of the 14th-century fortified house conceal a garden replanted in mediaeval style with square plots and ancient varieties of pear trees.
Several art works were installed in the garden by members of the Honest Art Movement and exhibitions are held in ancient cellars where Catholic nobles and bishops were once imprisoned.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
