The magnificent city of Ghent is known for many things: its rich history, wondrous architecture, many intoxicated students and an occasional homeless guy sitting on a bench inside Gent-Sint-Pieters station while mumbling to himself- but hey, every place has its dark sides.
Ghent also features many beautiful parks, all of which will surely tingle your nostrils by providing you with the freshest O2 in the whole of Belgium.. sort of. Whether you are a student trying to recover from the exam-tsunami, or an elderly woman counting down your last days; the top 5 parks featured in this blog are suitable for all.
The first one on the list is Citadel Park, one of the largest and probably most famous grassland in Ghent. The park itself was created 144 years ago, in 1875. Just so you know, that's 9,6 dog years! At the time, it was recognised as the largest and most modern park in the whole of Europe. Later it was used by the military as a barrack for artillery.
There are many things to do within Citadel Park. Apart from hugging various trees, you can play frisbee with your dog, have a picnic with friends, look at some caves or perform a belly-flop off the waterfall (plz don't do that). You can also just walk around and marvel at the 780 trees that have put their roots down in the Citadel soil.
The park also features some stunning landmarks, such as a lovely pond frequently visited by cute ducks and savage geese. And a statue of Emile Claus, a famous painter and the founder of luminism. What is luminism?, you might ask. Well.. we don't know. But what we do know is that Claus later became the leading impressionist of Belgium.
Next up, Appelbrugparkje! (Apple Bridge Park). A small, picturesque, cozy, appealing and secluded little park decorated with all kinds of green, located in the thriving heart of Ghent, alongside its flowing veins that occasionally transport humans who will gladly make you feel uncomfortable if you maintain eye-contact for too long.
The small haven not only grants its visitors with a stunning view of the Great Butchers' Hall and that of the Old Fish Market (two other landmarks which we highly recommend you visiting), but also lets you experience the sounds and noises of a bustling and ongoing city. And if you are silent enough, you can hear the distant screams of stressful students.
Of course, it is also a wonderful place to kick back and relax. You can either sit in the sun against a tree while reading a magazine or set a statement by resting on a pink bench overlooking the canal. Or perhaps you prefer to have the best of both worlds (not the Hannah Montana song), and lay on a towel with your lover. It's up to you.
Wow, that's a lot of magnificent flowers, right? Well those can be found at the Botanical Garden, situated right next to Citadel Park. The 2,75 ha wonderland features more than 10.000 different plant species, that can be found in the tropical greenhouses, perfect for anyone who wants to grow themselves some green fingers!
Apart from the tropical greenhouse, there's also the vegetable garden where you can find tasty tomatoes that make your taste buds want to party, and the succulent greenhouse where you can step on cacti, or just look at them. The Mediterranean garden and the Victoria greenhouse are also a visual treat where you can discover cacao, rice and papaya.
The Botanical garden is also a perfect spot for a quiet stroll or picnic on your first date. It's truly an amazing and magical place, where there's a lot to see and do. You might even run into Poison Ivy and her huge flesh-eating plants, who knows! For anyone who wishes to enjoy nature's beauty with a tour guide, they would have to pay €60,-.
- Weekdays: 9AM - 4:30PM
- Weekends: 9AM - 12PM
This one is for the athletic types, where all their wildest desires can be met at Blaarmeersen park. And although the park looks a bit deserted in the picture, it is often quite busy there, especially in summer. So busy in fact, that when you fail to find a spot, you could lose your desire to live, together with all meaning in life.
As previously mentioned, there is an abundance of activities that you could take part in at Blaarmeersen park, in as well as out of the water. Should you ever find yourself in the unfortunate situation of drowning, then don't worry, there are lifeguards stationed along the water. They're not as charming as the ones in Baywatch though.
Here you can find a list of activities you can do at Blaarmeersen park:
Important: Kayak tours should be booked 4 weeks in advance
If you want to unleash your inner Tony Hawk or Tiger Woods, there's also a skate park and mini-golf. You can also just relax on the beach if that is what you prefer, while listening to the greatest ABBA hits. Be careful of the non-existent crabs though!
And last but definitely not least: Muinkpark. The park to go if you seek to enlighten your spirit. The fairytale-like atmosphere features fabulous trees, semi-comfortable benches, a pleasant pond and a red hut owned by God knows who. A perfect place where you can come to your senses and ask yourself: Do I really need a degree?
Back in the good 'ol days, before the park became a park, it was actually a zoo. Luckily, some evidence has been preserved, such as the statue of penguins and the surrounding street names that still bear the names of some of the animals that had sleepovers there. These days, you can enjoy the park by reading a book and playing games with friends.
And oh! We almost forgot, the park is often visited by a real life Gandalf, called Joao. You can find him many times sitting on a bench while caressing his cheeks with warm sunlight or brisk cold. The gentle and kindhearted man will happily give you advice on how to change a flat tire. On other things too, I presume.