Originally published on September 16, 2025
We left the hotel bright and early at 7 a.m. and hopped the subway to Antwerp Central Station—truly a masterpiece in its own right. Built in 1905, this ornate station has been called one of the most beautiful in the world, with its mix of iron, glass, and stone giving it the nickname the “Railway Cathedral.” From there we caught our train to Ghent, a city we enjoyed so much a couple years back that we couldn’t resist a return visit.
Once in town, we joined a walking tour that lasted about two hours, full of legends and quirky tales of Ghent’s past. Our guide was excellent—she clearly loved sharing the stories as much as we loved hearing them. Afterwards, we stepped into St. Bavo’s Cathedral, though we passed on seeing the famous Ghent Altarpiece—Jan van Eyck’s 1432 masterpiece that is often called the world’s first great oil painting. Instead, I climbed the Belfry of Ghent, a 91-meter medieval tower that’s part of a UNESCO World Heritage trio. The views from the top were worth every step. Peggy wisely chose to sit that one out and enjoyed a hot chocolate in a cozy café. We reunited to see St. Nicholas Church, which is lovely in its Gothic simplicity, though not quite on the scale of Antwerp’s mighty cathedral.
By then it was waffle time. At The House of Waffles, I indulged in one called the “Chuck Berry.” Sweet, crunchy, and pure heaven. To top it off, we took a boat tour along the canals—Ghent is sometimes called “the Venice of the North,” and it’s easy to see why. I noticed both our walking and boat tour guides told the same stories, which gave me confidence those legends are here to stay. After a bit more wandering along the historic waterfront, we grabbed an Uber back to Sint-Pieters Station and began the trek back.
By day’s end, we had managed to squeeze in a subway, two trains, a streetcar, a boat, two Ubers, and about 20,000 steps on foot. That, my friends, is a travel day well spent!
