Private Tour: The Dark Side of Gent
Description
Join our Private Tour: The Dark Side of Gent of and discover the fascinating history, myths and legends of our city with an experienced and passionate local guide. We take you off the beaten track to show you some highlights and hidden gems of our gorgeous city. After 1.5h you will finish the tour in the medieval quarter of Ghent, very close to the city center, with a deeper understanding of our beloved city!
Tour Options
Itinerary
We start here with an introduction to the history of Ghent and the role the city played as a trading hub in medieval times. We also introduce you to the 3 towers of the Ghent skyline, which are best visible from this spot.
We’ll tell you the gruesome story of why the beautiful cathedral is also known as the ‘Devil’s Tower’. (Entering is not part of the tour).
We take you to the heart of the bustling medieval harbour of Ghent, back when the city was an economic powerhouse in Europe, to tell you about the lucrative trading activities.
On this bridge overlooking the giant Butchers’ Hall, we tell you the legend about the execution of a father and son and the miraculous event that saved them.
Built by Count Baldwin in the 9th century to protect the inhabitants from the Viking raids, it was around this impressive fortification that the city started to develop. Our guide will share its fascinating history with you.
Next, we take you to what once was a gigantic palace called the Prince’s Court. Today we need some imagination to envision it, but our guide will bring its history to life! (Entering is not part of the tour).
Here, we will show you the only remaining tower of the 14 km long defence wall that was built around Ghent in the Middle Ages.
We take you to the Bridge of Imperial Delights, which is flanked by 4 sculptures which depict legendary scenes of the life of Charles V. Our guide will explain you some of them.
On this stop, we’ll tell you about the troublesome history of the Religious Wars and the effect the Calvinist rule has had on the history of the city. (Entering is not part of the tour).
To finish the tour, we take you to the picturesque medieval quarter of the Patershol or ‘Monk’s hole’ to tell you about the social impact of the Industrial Revolution and the role it played in the revival of the city’s economy!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(90)
Great experience with Kenny. He was so informative and full of energy. We would absolutely do again.
Very good, very entertaining, and the guide was great.
Kenny was a fantastic tour guide. The time was flying by. He is very knowledgeable, has great sense of humour. We learnt about the history of Gent including it's dark side too. My husband and I enjoyed every minute, it was very educational and we also had a good laugh. It lasted almost two hours, which didn't seem long enough, as it was so interesting.
Kenny is absolutely a legend. He was very knowledgeable, funny, charismatic and attentive. I would recommend anyone to join his group, it’s a lot of fun.
Had a very nice city tour with Kenny!
Nice experience and recomendéis for people who are looking for historical data of the city
Manon - very nice guide. Interesting
The experience was amazing, I truly enjoyed! Manon is very kind and funny ❤️
Manon was an amazing tour guide. So funny and charming and a great storyteller.
Manon was an excellent tour. She’s funny, charismatic, joking… Very fun and engaging tour
