One of the best urban walks in Belgium begins at the city museum in Southern Ghent.
It follows the quiet, overgrown quay Bijlokekaai, with strange fin-de-siècle university buildings on one side and steep gardens and abandoned 18th- century tea houses on the opposite bank.
The walk continues along Lindenlei, then crosses over to the other bank at the start of Predikherenlei. Here you see the ancient stone monastery Het Pand on the opposite bank before passing under the Sint-Michielsbrug to emerge on the beautiful Graslei waterfront.
But then comes the best part. Head north along Jan Breydelstraat and Gewad. You come to the quiet Lievekaai where weeping willow trees line the banks of the River Lieve. This is possibly the most romantic spot in Ghent.
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.
