Ghent likes to think of itself as the city that Bruges forgot to be. It is a large, lively, slightly rebellious town at the meeting of the Leie and the Scheldt, and for centuries it was one of the biggest cities north of the Alps, a textile power whose weavers and guilds fought dukes and counts. The memory of that stubbornness lingers. Locals are known as the noose-bearers, after a day in 1540 when citizens were made to parade in nooses to atone for rebelling against Emperor Charles V, who was born in the town.
The centre is dramatic. Gravensteen, the castle of the counts, stands with its walls and towers right in the middle of town, complete with a moat and a set of grim medieval torture instruments in the displays. Along the waterfront, the Graslei and Korenlei quays are lined with tall merchants' houses with stepped gables, and the whole scene reflected in the canal at dusk is among the finest views in Belgium. Three towers dominate the skyline, the Belfry, the cathedral of Saint Bavo and Saint Nicholas' Church, and inside Saint Bavo hangs the Ghent Altarpiece by the van Eyck brothers, finished in 1432 and one of the great paintings of the world, with a startling clarity of detail that makes you lean in.
For a rider, the centre is largely closed to traffic, and trams and bikes dominate. Park at the edge, take a walk, and return when the evening cool arrives. Outside, the countryside is classic Flanders: flat, green, fringed by poplars, with farms and small canals. Roads are narrow and fast, with cyclists and tractors, and plenty of roundabouts, and the weather is changeable, so be ready for a shower. There is a speed camera culture here, and fines are real.
Food in Ghent is relaxed and good. Try waterzooi, a creamy stew of chicken or fish, and cuberdons, purple cone-shaped sweets sold from stalls, which have a soft, sticky centre. Fuel is easily found on the outskirts of a city of well over two hundred thousand people. Spring is lovely when the blossom opens, and the Ghent Festival in July fills the streets with music, though it is hard to find a parking space.