Ghent has three towers standing in a row, and the middle one is the belfry, rising over the old centre between St Bavo's Cathedral and St Nicholas' Church. Begun in the fourteenth century, it was the town's watchtower, bell tower and strongroom, where the charters granting the city its privileges were locked away. On its spire sits a gilded dragon, the city's mascot, keeping an eye on things. The belfry, with the cloth hall attached to its base, is part of the UNESCO list of belfries of Belgium and France, and you can climb it, partly by lift, for one of the best views over the rooftops, canals and spires.
Ghent's story is one of rebellious wealth. In the Middle Ages it was among the largest cities north of the Alps, rich on cloth woven from English wool, and its citizens repeatedly defied counts, dukes and kings. The great bell Roland once called the people to arms, and the emperor Charles V, born in Ghent, punished the city for a revolt by forcing its leaders to walk barefoot with nooses around their necks, which is why locals are still sometimes called noose-bearers. In St Bavo's hangs the Ghent Altarpiece by the Van Eyck brothers, one of the most important paintings in European history.
The city today is lively, young and less crowded than Bruges. The Graslei and Korenlei, two quays lined with guild houses facing each other across the river Lys, are beautiful at dusk, and the Gravensteen, a grim stone castle of the counts of Flanders, stands in the middle of town.
Riding in Ghent requires patience. The city centre has a traffic plan that divides it into sectors you cannot drive between directly, plus a low-emission zone, and cyclists and trams are everywhere. Park on the edge of the centre and walk. Outside the city, the roads through the Leie valley to the south-west lead past villages where painters once worked, and the Flemish Ardennes, with their cobbled climbs, are within easy reach. Rain and wind are frequent companions.
Ghent has every service, including fuel on the ring roads. Try Gentse waterzooi, a creamy stew of chicken or fish, and cuberdons, purple cone-shaped sweets with a syrupy centre, sold from carts in the old town.