Self-guided walking tours in Ghent

Ghent's old centre is compact and flat, and one day on foot covers the cathedral and the belfry, the castle, the quays and the arts quarter without needing a bus. Cobbles are the main obstacle underfoot, and the day is full rather than rushed, so trim the stops that interest you least and keep the paid sites.

This route is flat and cobbled, which works for strollers and for many wheelchair users, but the Belfort is not accessible for wheelchair users: its lift runs only from the first floor. The Gravensteen keeps its medieval stairs, so plan the day around what each building allows.

Tuesday to Friday suits this plan, when the museums and the Boekentoren are open. The Ghent Altarpiece is mid-restoration: seven of its twenty panels show as high-resolution images, the restorers work in view at the MSK on weekdays, and at weekends the panels are arranged to be seen.

Take the train. Direct trains run from Brussels Airport to Ghent in about 55 minutes, and the Brussels Airport supplement is normally already included in the fare. From central Brussels, frequent trains link the two cities throughout the day, arriving at Gent-Sint-Pieters or Gent-Dampoort.

No. Ghent's centre sits inside a low-emission zone, and the day is built on foot; buses and trams cover the gaps. The Gent CityCard is valid on the bus and tram and includes a boat trip.

The Gent CityCard is €49 for 48 hours or €55 for 72 hours, and it covers the main monuments, museums and a boat trip and works on the bus and tram. On this route it covers the Gravensteen and both Citadelpark museums: the castle plus MSK and S.M.A.K. admissions come to €47 against the card's €49, and the card runs into a second day, so it pays off fastest if you stay two days.

Interior time, mostly: the plan gives one museum stretch to the MSK or the S.M.A.K., walks past the Huis van Alijn's rooms on the water, and keeps the Patershol for lunch. A second day fills in both museums properly, Kunsthal Gent's weekend exhibitions in the old monastery, and the exhibition wing at Sint-Pietersabdij.

For any emergency in Belgium, call 112, which reaches police, fire and ambulance. Ghent's centre is an easy place to walk day and night; keep an eye on cyclists and tram rails as you cross, and take care on the quays where the water sits close to the cobbles.