Ghent for Art Lovers: Three Museums You Must Visit

City

Oct 31

Ghent is not a city you simply visit. It’s a place you experience with all your senses. Behind every elegant exterior lies a story, and nowhere do these stories come more vividly to life than in its museums. From city history and contemporary art to classical masterpieces, these three venues reveal a side of Ghent you’ve never seen before.

STAM – The Story of Ghent

The City Museum is the perfect first stop for anyone wishing to truly discover and understand Ghent.

At STAM, history unfolds around you. Through impressive maps, artefacts and interactive displays, the museum brings the city’s past and future to life in a way that feels both immersive and imaginative.

Your visit begins spectacularly, with a walk across a giant aerial photograph of the city. From there, you follow a route through eight themed rooms that unveil Ghent’s development step by step.

STAM is also ideal for families; its playful, hands-on installations make it engaging for visitors of all ages.

S.M.A.K. – Sharpen Your Perspective

S.M.A.K. is the place for those who wish to be surprised, challenged and moved by art that truly matters.

Here, you don’t just look at art, you think, feel and respond to it. The Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art places experimentation and innovation at its heart. Its ever-changing exhibitions highlight not only what defines today, but what will shape tomorrow.

S.M.A.K. invites visitors to see the world through new eyes. You’ll encounter works questioning the climate crisis, exploring identity and responding sharply to current events. Because the exhibitions are constantly changing, every visit offers something new. More than a museum, it’s a place for reflection and inspiration.

Museum of Fine Arts – Discover 600 Years of Art

For those seeking tranquillity, refinement and pure beauty, this museum is an essential stop on any visit to Ghent.

The Museum of Fine Arts is an oasis of calm and elegance. Its collection brings together works from a wide range of artistic styles and periods. Every gallery exudes sophistication and tells its own story, allowing you to experience six centuries of art, each time anew and equally captivating.

A rare glimpse behind the scenes:

Visitors can currently watch the live restoration of the world-famous Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. Until March 2027, you can see the restorers at work behind glass, a unique opportunity to witness how this masterpiece regains its original splendour.