Editing Ghent (section)

==Culture and tourism ==
===Architecture===
[[File:Belfry of Ghent (DSCF0247,DSCF0249).jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Belfry of Ghent]], a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]]]]
[[File:Gent, de Graslei6 foto1 2010-10-10 15.30.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Graslei]], in the old city centre]]
[[File:NTG 24-06-2008 11-42-13.JPG|thumb|The [[Royal Dutch Theatre (Ghent)|Royal Dutch Theatre]]]]
[[File:Gent Gravensteen R01.jpg|thumb|The [[Gravensteen castle|Gravensteen]]]]
[[File:Gent, de Sint-Niklaaskerk oeg25149, en op de achtergrond het Belfort oeg24555 en de Sint-Baafskathedraal oeg25743 IMG 0814 2021-08-15 16.54.jpg|thumb|right|Historical centre of Ghent – from left to right: Old post office, [[Saint Nicholas Church, Ghent|St. Nicholas' Church]], [[Belfry of Ghent|Belfry]], and [[St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent|St. Bavo's Cathedral]]]]
[[File:Sunset over a canal in Ghent, Belgium.jpg|thumb|Sunset over the river [[Leie]] in Ghent]] <!-- from the Kning Albertbrug, looking west -->
Much of the city's [[medieval]] architecture remains intact and is remarkably well preserved and restored. Its centre is a [[Pedestrian zone|carfree area]]. Highlights are [[St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent|St. Bavo's Cathedral]] with the ''[[Ghent Altarpiece]]'', the [[belfry of Ghent|belfry]], the [[Gravensteen castle]], and the splendid architecture along the old [[Graslei]] harbour. Ghent has established a blend between comfort of living and history; it is not a city-museum. The city of Ghent also houses three [[béguinage]]s and numerous churches including St. Jacob's Church, [[Saint Nicholas Church, Ghent|St. Nicholas' Church]], [[Saint Michael's Church, Ghent|St. Michael's Church]] and [[St. Stefanus, Ghent|St. Stefanus' Church]].
[[File:Lamgods open.jpg|thumb|The well-known ''[[Ghent Altarpiece]]'', a 15th-century painting by Hubert and Jan Van Eyck in [[St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent|St. Bavo's Cathedral]].]] 
In the 19th century Ghent's most famous architect, [[Louis Roelandt]], built the university hall Aula, the opera house, and the main courthouse. Highlights of modern architecture are the university buildings (the ''[[Boekentoren]]'' or Book Tower) by [[Henry Van de Velde]]. There are also a few theatres from diverse periods.

The beguinages, as well as the belfry and adjacent cloth hall, were recognized by [[UNESCO]] as [[World Heritage Sites]] in 1998 and 1999.

The [[Zebrastraat]], a social experiment in which an entirely renovated site unites living, economy, and culture, can also be found in Ghent.

[[Campo Santo, Ghent|Campo Santo]] is a famous Catholic burial site of the nobility and artists.

One of the more notable pieces of [[contemporary architecture]] in Ghent is [[De Krook]], the new central library and media center, a collaboration between local firm Coussée and Goris and Catalan firm RCR Arquitectos.

===Museums===
Important museums in Ghent are the [[Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent|Museum voor Schone Kunsten]] (Museum of Fine Arts), with paintings by [[Hieronymus Bosch]], [[Peter Paul Rubens]], and many Flemish masters; the [[Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst|SMAK]] or Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (City Museum for Contemporary Art), with works of the 20th century, including [[Joseph Beuys]] and [[Andy Warhol]]; and the [[Design Museum Gent]] with masterpieces of [[Victor Horta]] and [[Le Corbusier]]. The [[Huis van Alijn]] (House of the Alijn family) was originally a [[beguinage]] and is now a museum for folk art where theatre and puppet shows for children are presented. The ''Museum voor Industriële Archeologie en Textiel'' or MIAT displays the industrial strength of Ghent with recreations of workshops and stores from the 1800s and original spinning and weaving machines that remain from the time when the building was a weaving mill. The [[Ghent City Museum]] (Stadsmuseum, abbreviated STAM), is committed to recording and explaining the city's past and its inhabitants, and to preserving the present for future generations.

===Theatre===
[[NTGent]] is the city theatre of Ghent, a public institution known for its radical productions. The theatre company's home base is in the {{ill|Royal Dutch Theatre|nl| Koninklijke Nederlandse Schouwburg (Gent)}} (Koninklijke Nederlandse Schouwburg, or KNS), with a secondary location in the city at Minnemeers. The company also tours extensively.<ref name=hist>{{cite web | title=History | website=NTGent | date=28 March 2023 | url=https://www.ntgent.be/en/wie-zijn-we/geschiedenis | access-date=17 March 2024 | archive-date=18 March 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240318010947/https://www.ntgent.be/en/wie-zijn-we/geschiedenis | url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Restaurants and culinary traditions===
In Ghent and other regions of [[East Flanders]], bakeries sell a donut-shaped bun called a "mastel" (plural "mastellen"), which is basically a bagel. "Mastellen" are also called "[[Saint Hubert]] bread", because, on the Saint's feast day, which is 3 November, the bakers bring their batches to the early Mass to be blessed. Traditionally, it was thought that blessed mastellen immunized against [[rabies]].

Other local delicacies are the praline chocolates from local producers such as [[Leonidas (chocolate)|Leonidas]], the [[cuberdon]]s or 'neuzekes' ('noses'), cone-shaped purple jelly-filled candies (a four-year feud between two local vendors made international news),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theculturetrip.com/europe/belgium/articles/a-tale-of-two-cuberdon-vendors-the-story-behind-ghents-little-nose-war/|title=A Tale of Two Cuberdon Vendors: The Story Behind Ghent's 'Little Nose War'|first=Nana|last=Van De Poel|date=22 July 2017}}</ref> 'babelutten' ('babblers'), hard butterscotch-like candy, and of course, on the more fiery side, the famous 'Tierenteyn', a hot but refined mustard that has some affinity to French 'Dijon' mustard.

[[Carbonade flamande|Stoverij]] is a classic Flemish meat stew, preferably made with a generous addition of brown [[Trappist beer|'Trappist']] (strong abbey beer) and served with French fries. '[[Waterzooi]]' is a local stew originally made from freshwater fish caught in the rivers and creeks of Ghent, but nowadays often made with chicken instead of fish. It is usually served nouvelle-cuisine-style and supplemented by a large pot on the side.

The city promotes a meat-free day on Thursdays called ''Donderdag Veggiedag''<ref>[http://www.vegetarisme.be/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=767 "Ghent's veggie day: for English speaking visitors"] on Vegetarisme.be</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8046970.stm "Belgian city plans 'veggie' days"] on [[BBC News]] (12 May 2009).</ref> with [[vegetarian]] food being promoted in public canteens for civil servants and elected councillors, in all city-funded schools, and promotion of vegetarian eating options in town (through the distribution of "veggie street maps"). This campaign is linked to the recognition of the [[Environmental effects of meat production#Fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions|detrimental environmental effects of meat production]], which the [[United Nations]]' [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] has established to represent nearly one-fifth of global [[greenhouse gas emissions]].

===Festivals and other events===
The city is host to some big cultural events such as the [[Gentse Feesten|Ghent Festival]], the [[Flanders International Film Festival Ghent|International Film Festival of Ghent]] (with the [[World Soundtrack Awards]]) and the {{Interlanguage link|Gent Festival van Vlaanderen|nl}}. Also, every five years, an extensive botanical exhibition (''Gentse Floraliën'') takes place in [[Flanders Expo]] in Ghent, attracting numerous visitors to the city.

The Ghent Festival (''Gentse Feesten'' in Dutch) is an annual festival that lasts for ten days. It has been held for more than 50 years (since 1969) and is attended by about 1–1.5 million visitors. It did not take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium]], being held again in the summer of 2022, after a two-year break.

The [[Festival of Flanders]] had its 50th celebration in 2008. In Ghent, it opens with the OdeGand City festivities that take place on the second Saturday of September. Some 50 concerts take place in diverse locations throughout the medieval [[inner city]] and some 250 international artists perform.

Ghent co-hosted the 2021 [[World Choir Games]] together with [[Antwerp]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.interkultur.com/newsroom/choir-games/details/news/world-choir-games-kick-off-in-flanders/|title=World Choir Games kick off in Flanders|website=INTERKULTUR|date=15 September 2021 |access-date=18 October 2021}}</ref> Organised by the [[Interkultur Foundation]], the World Choir Games is the biggest choral competition and festival in the world.

Ghent has been chosen as the 2024 [[European Youth Capital]] by the [[European Youth Forum]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Verstichel |first1=Mathieu |title=Gent is Europese Jongerenhoofdstad in 2024: "Een volledig jaar focus op de jeugd" |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2021/11/19/gent-wordt-europese-jongerenhoofdstad-voor-een-jaar/ |access-date=15 March 2023 |work=VRT |date=19 November 2021 |language=Dutch}}</ref>

===Parks===
The numerous parks in the city can also be considered tourist attractions. Most notably, Ghent boasts a [[nature reserve]] ([[Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen]], {{convert|230|ha|acre|abbr=off}}<ref name="nature reserve">{{cite web|url=http://www.visitgent.be/en/natuur-en-milieucentrum-de-bourgoyen |title=Nature Domain De Bourgoyen &#124; Visit Gent |publisher=visitgent.be|access-date=18 May 2015}}</ref>) and a recreation park (Blaarmeersen, 87 hectares; 215 acres).<ref name="inyourpocket">{{cite web|url=http://www.inyourpocket.com/Belgium/Ghent/Sightseeing/Parks-and-Gardens/Blaarmeersen-Sport-and-Recreation-Park_102502v |title=Blaarmeersen Sport and Recreation Park – Sightseeing in Ghent |website=inyourpocket.com |access-date=18 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520042928/http://www.inyourpocket.com/Belgium/Ghent/Sightseeing/Parks-and-Gardens/Blaarmeersen-Sport-and-Recreation-Park_102502v |archive-date=20 May 2015}}</ref>