Ghent, Belgium

Triangular roofed buildings lining the river... It feels as though I have entered a time warp and gone back to the Middle Ages.

This is Belgium's third-largest city, Ghent.

Located at the confluence of the Lys and Scheldt rivers.

It's a town built by merchants who prospered through the river trade.

Their wealth subsidized the growth of a rich culture in Ghent, known as the "City of Art."

The center of town is about a 10-minute tram ride from the railway station.

The people of Ghent are known for their love of beautiful things.

I can hardly wait to meet them!

It's ten in the morning.

I think I should check my map.

I'm here.

Ah, there are medieval buildings surrounding the town symbol, the Ghent Belfry.

I'll head in that direction.

And here I am at a plaza.

There are lots of people.

Ah, flower market.

Daffodils and primulas.

Are these marguerites?

And look at all the colorful tulips.

Stunning!

Look, that little girl is carrying a bouquet...

Excuse me, do you live here?

Yes.

Your daughter's so cute.

What kind of flowers did you buy?

Show her what you bought.

Thank you. So pretty.

Goodbye.

Bye! Let's go, honey.

I'm curious about the history of this flower market.

I don't really know.

I'll ask my dad.

Dad, how old is this market?

- This market?
- Yes.

I'm not sure but the 200th
anniversary is coming up.

Wow!

Is this shop that old?

My dad started it.

He's been doing it for 40 years.

Forty years! So why did you choose to become a florist?

There's a story to that.
My dad was a farmer.

I didn't want to farm.
And Dad said it was okay.

Mom said I was good at studies
so I should be a lawyer.

But Dad said "No, lawyers
deal with people's problems.

Then Mom said "doctor", but Dad said "No, doctors
deal with people's misfortunes."

In the end, he suggested that it
might be fun to sell flowers.

Now, I enjoy selling flowers.

Sounds like a great choice!

- Goodbye.
- Goodbye.

Not a doctor or lawyer, but a florist.

A great example of a merchant who loves beautiful things.

Is this the Lys River?

What's happening over there?

This time it's a used book market.

I just saw a flower market.

Ghent seems to have all kinds of markets.

Yes, it's definitely
a city of merchants.

A lot of these books have to do with the arts.

What do you recommend?

This book is about
the Mystic Lamb altarpiece in St. Bavo's Cathedral.

The Mystic Lamb? Is it famous?

Very precious and wonderful.

It's the treasure of Ghent.

- Bye, now.
- Thanks for talking with me.

A treasure of the "City of Art," huh?

I wonder how beautiful it is in real life?

A sightseeing boat.

Hello there!

Have fun!

That bridge up ahead looks old.

Waterside views of Ghent are definitely one of its attractions!

Hmm. People are gathering.

A street musician.

She's so young!

Definitely, a "City of Art!"

- You perform, as well?
- Yes, violin.

Oh, the violin.

- Are you related?
- Brother and sister.

Ah!

We both play violin.

You'll play for us? Thank you!

Amazing! They were even breathing together!

The audience loved it.

Yes.

Even people in bad moods
smile and greet us.

Things like that make our day better.

Are you planning to become professional musicians?

She wants to be a singer.
I hope to be a composer and conductor.

When I'm a conductor,
I'll invite her to perform.

That's my dream!

Great talking with you!

May all your dreams come true!

This must be the town center.

The water seems much higher here.

Lots of these buildings feel historical.

Better check my guidebook.

There was a harbor here in the Middle Ages.

The buildings were built by merchants in the 12th century and used to store grain and serve as guildhalls.

What are guilds, anyway? I seem to recall learning about them in world history class...

Oh! Look at that cute bicycle!

I think I'll ask this person.

Hello.

Hello.

What a great bicycle!

I change the flowers
according to season.

I do it with my house, too.

People in Ghent really like flowers, don't they?

I understand these buildings along the river are guildhalls.

I'd like to ask about the guilds!

Guilds were like unions.

They had apprentices who were
able to rise up to being masters protecting the profession in the industry.

They were as powerful as local lords.

Ghent was a prosperous city which is why these gorgeous
buildings were built.

Oh, that's interesting! Thank you!

- Goodbye.
- Goodbye.

So, merchants really did build the city of Ghent.

Each triangular roof has a slightly different design.

Those merchants had a good sense of style!

I wonder if these stairs will take me up to the bridge.

I'm going to check it out.

Ah, it's so beautiful! The perfect image of a European town!

That tower in the background... is that the Ghent Belfry?

Ah, the music of the bells!

Excuse me.

Are those bells I hear, located in this tower?

Yes. This belfry has
bells at the top.

They play automatically
every 15 minutes.

It's automatic.

When was the belfry built?

In 1313.

It was built with
money from the guilds.

It symbolized wealth and power,
so they made it as large as possible.

Wow! Would it be possible to go up and see?

Yes. I play the bells.
Today's my weekly concert.

So, you know how to play the bells?

- Yes. I'll show you.
- Thank you!

I suppose the bell chamber is up at the top.

Whew! It's quite a climb!

And here we are, finally!

Look, those bells are huge!

And is this where you play?

And this is...?

This is a carillon.

A carillon.

A light hit sounds soft.
A hard hit sounds loud.

Each key is attached to one bell.

And there are pedals too.

Looks difficult!

The Ghent carillon is
particularly difficult.

A key attached to a 30 ton
copper bell is hard to push.

It's easier to use the feet,
but it still feels heavy.

So fascinating! Would you play something?

Of course.

Thank you so much!

These bells can be heard all over the city, right?

A carillon player is a high-class
street musician.

I play for everyone
in the center of town.

As we're in the highest place
we joke that we are above everyone!

We're even above the mayor.

What a treat!

- My pleasure. Goodbye.
- Bye now!

So, Carillon players above the mayor, huh?

Sounds like a joke that people from Ghent, the city of art would make.

Hello. I'm Astrid Harth, an art researcher at Ghent University.

I was born and raised in Ghent.

I'd like to share some of the history of our "City of Art and Culture."

For hundreds of years, Ghent has been an important trading hub.

During the Middle Ages, a beautiful townscape was created, second only to Paris, the "City of Flowers."

It was the wool trade that supported the development of Ghent.

The merchants were able to amass great wealth and they poured their riches into the arts.

In the 15th century, one of Ghent's richest citizens, Jodocus Vijd and his wife Lysbette commissioned a painting that they donated to the church.

The artists they hired were the Van Eyck brothers Jan and Hubert, two luminaries of the Northern Renaissance.

It took them over six years to complete the work.

This is the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.

The restoration of this altarpiece took about 10 years.

The altarpiece is comprised of 12 foldable panels.

The ultra-realistic painting technique revolutionized Western painting.

The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb is called the treasure of Ghent.

There's a reason for that.

Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler are just two of the many outside leaders who have occupied Ghent through the centuries.

As a result, the altarpiece has been repeatedly stolen and returned.

Even today, a panel is missing, stolen by an unidentified thief in 1934.

A reproduction currently stands in its place.

We citizens of Ghent deeply desire the panel's return.

It is a miracle that this altarpiece is still in Ghent today.

Even today, it is considered a symbol of our freedom and independence.

Nothing will hold us back.

Our culture and, above all, our freedom.

You will meet many interesting and wonderful people as you walk around the city.

Enjoy your time here.

It's noon.

Let's see.

Time to check the map.

I visited the flower and book markets, wandered along the Lys River, and climbed the stairs to the belfry.

Now I'm here.

I think I'll walk to another famous location called Friday Market Square.

Look at that wonderful building up there.

It looks like a castle.

There's someone sitting in there.

What is he doing?

Excuse me.

Hi.

Is this your home?

No, I'm investigating the mystery
of the "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb."

I'm looking for the missing panel.

The Mystic Lamb is the treasure of Ghent, right?

I'd like to hear more about it.

This panel was stolen.

The police had a suspect who
died before he confessed.

He left 14 letters
containing a secret code.

Do you think that it might be a secret code that identifies the panel's location?

I believe so.

I'm a tour guide, but I'm
interested in encryption.

Fascinating.

So, what have you come up with?

Take a close look.

We can read four words
and the number 152.

I think "Jean" is a street name.

I see.

The four words might indicate places.

What about the number 152?

I thought it might mean 152 steps from each of the four places.

That's where we are now.

What? Here!?

In this well.

Look.

The police put a camera in to search.

Really? You're working with the police?

The Belgian Civil Protection.
They went down and searched.

What did they find?

Just some wooden boards.

I was so disappointed. But I still
think the panel's here somewhere.

It would be great if you could find it.

It would be an honor.

I would be eternally famous.
Maybe even get a statue!

My descendants would be proud
to have a weirdo like me in the family.

Thanks for your time.

My pleasure.

Come to Ghent anytime. I hope
you enjoyed my talk. Goodbye.

Loved it! Bye!

How romantic! He's trying to solve the crime of the century.

This street looks inviting!

A clothing store...

A general store...

Lots of small shops.

Window shopping is another way to enjoy the town.

Ah! I hear a bell ringing!

What magnificent steeples!

According to my guidebook, this is St James' Church, with a history going back to the 11th century.

In the Middle Ages, it was used as a guildhall.

Look, in the square in front of the church, there's an antique market.

Ghent sure has a lot of markets!

Hello!

Hello.

Is Ghent famous for its antiques?

Yes, Ghent was very prosperous.

People have beautiful old things
they want to sell.

That makes sense.

What's the best thing you've found?

I sold a piece by Emile Galle
for 6,750 euros.

Oh my! That's a lot of money, right?

I bought it from someone
here for 25 euros.

Wow! You're a good businessman!

Just lucky.

- Bye bye.
- Thanks for your time.

I feel as though I've touched the soul of a Ghent merchant.

Ghent has so many cobblestone streets.

Here I am in a large plaza! This must be Friday Market Square.

Oh, look at the bronze statue! I wonder if it's a local hero.

Is that a tour guide? I think I'll listen in.

I still need to give you guys an explanation of what I'm wearing around my neck for quite some time like a fool.

Well, this is called a Gentse Strop.

The Noose of Ghent?

We locals, we wear this with pride.

Why?

Well remember I told you about Emperor Charles.

So the people of Ghent refused.

We refused to give Emperor Charles more money.

And he decided to punish us in many ways.

But the most known way was that the leaders of Ghent, the political leaders, had to walk around in the city with this around their neck.

But this Noose of Ghent is a symbol for the rebellious character of the people of Ghent.

It's a symbol for the simple fact that we would rather be hanged than to obey to the big authority.

Interesting.

Hello.

How are you guys?

I have a question.

Are you saying that the merchants supported the insurrection and not Charles V?

That's right.

This is a statue of our city's hero,
Jacob van Artevelde.

He was a leading 14th century
textile merchant.

A statue of Charles V
once stood here.

But the people of Ghent replaced it.

- Bye!
- Thank you!

So a merchant leader is the hero, not the emperor.

Even so, it's a bit strange to use a noose as a symbol!

This view of the city is so elegant!

What's that building at the end of the street?

It looks very old.

This shop...

Ah, I see. It sells sweets.

Huh?

If you look closely, you can see human faces.

I think I'll go inside.

There's a feeling of history here.

They measure things out the old-fashioned way.

It's like a candy shop in a picture book!

I noticed you have candies shaped like faces.

They're called cuberdons.

They're sugar candy with
raspberry and gum arabic.

Here they are!

They're our signature sweet.
It's our great-great grandad's face.

So, this has been a family business for generations?

Yes. My brother and I
are the 5th generation.

Wow!

May I ask, what's inside your cuberdons?

I'll break apart our
great-great grandfather's face.

See? Raspberry filling.

It looks delicious!

But, what about your poor great-great grandad!

I admit it's a strange feeling.

I bet.

Who thought of using his face?

Our great-great grandma, I think.

So, you've had the recipe in your family a long time, then.

Yes. Ghent still has many
family-run businesses.

It might be connected to the
character of Ghent in our roots.

The character of Ghent?

Do you see our nooses?

Your shop has them too!

A symbol of merchant resistance to the emperor, right?

This is the Noose of Ghent.

It's a symbol of independence.

We're proud to be an independent
town of merchants.

The backbone of our citizenry.

We focus on making good products,
rather than expanding our business.

We protect our shop and
its traditions.

Our goal is to be unique.

We want international patrons to experience what we offer.

Thank you.

- Goodbye!
- Goodbye!

They're proud of their city of independent merchants.

The spirit of the Middle Ages is found in more than just the buildings.

Hello. I'm Elizabeth.

I study art history and am doing research exploring food culture based on 17th century paintings.

People of Ghent love good food.

And now I'm going to introduce three of my favorite gourmet treats!

Let's begin in third place with one of Belgium's most famous beverages: beer!

Do you see the tall beer glasses those people are drinking from?

They're a Ghent specialty.

Aren't' they amazing?

It's said that people used to grab themselves a beer in these glasses while riding horseback.

But there is a certain ritual when drinking this beer...

I'll take your shoes.

Patrons are asked to take hand over their shoes.

As some people have been known to take the beer glasses home with them.

It's like relaxing at home.

In second place, we have another delicacy for which Belgium is justly famous.

You guessed it - chocolate!

Records show that Ghent is one of the oldest centers of chocolate sales, dating to the early 17th century.

Ghent is a city of flowers.

The fragrance of lavender is perfect for chocolate.

This ganache is made of white chocolate and cream, with a few drops of lavender essence.

The mixture is poured into a mold lined with dark chocolate and left overnight before being cut into bite-sized pieces.

After resting another night, the pieces are covered in more chocolate.

There are many chocolatiers in town who carefully make their confections by hand.

Everyone who lives here has a favorite shop.

Mmm.

A lovely smooth texture accented by a flowery aroma.

First place goes to a traditional dish unique to Ghent.

It's called waterzooi.

Similar to cream stew, fish caught in the local rivers are boiled and then prepared.

Each restaurant has its own prized recipes that use various ingredients.

At this restaurant you can enjoy four different kinds of fish, including eel.

The umami of the fish permeates the soup.

It's an interesting modern take on an ancient flavor.

Please come and enjoy the cuisine of Ghent.

We're waiting to see you! Bye!

It's two o'clock.

There are many buildings with triangular roofs in this area, too.

I wonder what's up here.

That looks like a castle.

The guidebook says it was built in the 12th century by a local lord.

Now it's a museum with displays that include instruments of torture.

Yikes!

It's rather intimidating.

What's this man doing? Hello!

Hi.

Are you a tourist?

I've lived here 10 years.

I came to study art.

So, you're an artist?

I colorized this black-and-white
photo taken in 1914.

I want viewers to be drawn
into that time.

The people in the street are certainly dressed differently from today.

Do you specialize in historical photos of Ghent?

Yes. It's my city. I have
a special love for Ghent.

I'm not interested in other cities.

You really love it here, huh?

How do people react to your work?

This is my Instagram page.

I get reactions when I post my work.

I also interact with older people
who remember the past.

What do you mean?

This is the old central square.

It's an early work of mine
based on a 1913 photo.

I colored the tram sign red, but an older man told me
it should be blue.

Fascinating.

It's wonderful.

I get connected to people
I otherwise wouldn't know.

Older folks are proud of living
here so long.

They're proud to have
their photos colorized.

Ghent is not a city of the past.

Its old buildings are full of life.

A beautiful fusion of new and old.

Great talking with you!

- Goodbye.
- Goodbye.

Intergenerational communication through art.

That's really wonderful!

The tram tracks seem to go on forever...

Hmm. Here's a very narrow street.

It looks too inviting! I can't resist, I'm going to check it out.

This looks like a residential area.

Children must have painted these.

So cute!

Hmm what is that building there? Amazing gate!

I see people relaxing.

Is it a cafe?

I think I'll stop in.

Look at the pictures on the walls.

Hello!

Hello.

Is this a cafe?

It's a place where locals
can enjoy a drink.

It's an exhibition space, too.

Most of our patrons are older
than 55. Some are close to 100.

How nice! A place for seniors to gather.

We get support from the city.

Everything is cheaper here.

The workers don't get paid.

Volunteers, huh?

And the pictures? Are they painted by local artists?

Aren't they wonderful?

These are hers.
One of our volunteers.

Amazing!

Which do you like the best?

Those are of Brittany in France.

I painted some boats I really love.

They're beautiful.

My husband and I often rented
boats when we traveled.

He wanted to buy one
when he retired.

But he died before he could
realize his dream.

So I made paintings of them.

I see.

When did you start painting?

At age 60. I started living
on a pension, and my husband died.

Painting helps me forget the pain.

It frees me from
the sorrows of daily life.

Thanks for sharing your story.

Aren't they beautiful paintings?

The sunglasses hide it, but my
daughter has tears in her eyes.

Such a powerful story.

They're beautiful paintings.

Wonderful.

How nice that your patrons enjoy them, too.

I'm really delighted.

I never dreamed that they'd
get such a response.

I couldn't be happier.

It helps ease the loneliness?

Yes, I'm trying not to feel lonely.

I go to the art museum
when this place is closed.

In good weather I like to sit
on the terrace, too.

It's nice to drink wine.

So you celebrate each day.

Yes, of course.

Indeed.

We only have one life.

Only one life.

Thank you.

Goodbye. Have a good day.

Goodbye.

Enjoy Ghent's charm.
It's a beautiful city.

Best in the world!

Pictures painted to forget grief forge new connections among people.

Enjoying art together might be the secret to happiness for the people of Ghent.

It's four o'clock.

I've come to a canal.

The weeping willows really add to the atmosphere.

This looks like a residential area.

Hey, what's that?

A black-and-white photo is hanging in a window.

Here are some more.

And one over here.

Are these old photos of the houses themselves?

But why are they taped to the windows?

Hello!

Hello.

Do you know why all these photos are hanging in the windows?

Sure.

It's an outdoor exhibit.

Outdoor exhibit?

This area was really
run-down years ago.

People moved in and fixed
the buildings.

They created a new community.

The photos celebrated the renewed
neighborhood's 40th anniversary.

That celebration is over,
but the photos were left up.

It's a permanent exhibit, now.

Cool!

How many people participated?

Altogether we put 300 photos up.

You distributed photos, too?

Yes. I've lived here a long time.

I used to be the youngest.
Now I'm the oldest.

A neighborhood of friends...

We gather at the public hall
at least once a month.

Public hall?

We're gathering today.
Why don't you come?

It's a nice place to have a drink.
I'd like to show you.

Sounds like fun! I'd love to come.

I'm glad. Let's go!

Thank you!

Looking good!

Oh, is this the public hall?

Yes.

Welcome!

Wow! So many people! They really are friends.

He's done so much for
the community.

The outdoor exhibit was his idea.

Really? How did you think of it?

People here love local
restoration and history.

For those who want to know
what it was like long ago, I thought we could hang pictures.

Everyone loves history,
so they left the photos up.

I guess that shows how much they love this neighborhood.

Our efforts to make our community
livable have brought us together.

It's the same unity that people of Ghent had against
the emperor and other rulers.

Solidarity is a trait of
the people of Ghent.

To Ghent!

Thank you.

Goodbye.

Working together for a common goal.

The spirit of the medieval merchants lives on.

It's now seven-thirty.

I'm back on the bank of the Lys River.

It feels quite different at night.

Love of freedom.

Love of art.

Enjoying life together as friends.

It feels like the people of Ghent have taught me the secret to happiness.