Not many people know about the ruined abbey in Ghent. Founded by St Amandus, it was one of the great abbeys of the middle ages.
The English king Edward III and his wife Queen Philippa stayed in the abbey when they visited Ghent in 1341. Their third son John of Gaunt was born here, at a time when Ghent (Gent in Dutch) was known as Gand in French and Gaunt in English.
The abbey was largely demolished by the Spanish in the 16th century, but a few fragments including a spectacular mediaeval refectory have survived. The ruins have been turned into an informal museum displaying mysterious stone columns, doorways, and sculptures salvaged from demolished Ghent buildings.
Some rare plants have put down roots between the ancient stones. Botanists have counted more than 200 species, including some you hardly ever find in Belgium such as milk thistle, yellow corydalis, ragwort and birthwort.
The abbey is closed in the winter months. But it opens on three afternoons a week (Friday to Sunday) from April to November. Try to get there. It is a special spot.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
