The Gravensteen (Ghent, Belgium)
Photos - Info - Meteo - Tips - Geo Info [- Tides] –
General information about Het Gravensteen
The Gravensteen is one of Belgium's most popular tourist attractions. This ancient fortified moated castle dates back to 1180 and is located in the center of the Flemish city of Ghent at a fork in the Leie River. The counts of Flanders lived there until 1353.
Visitor tips The Gravensteen
General tips:
1) if you are looking for other nearby attractions, consult our Tourist map of Top.Vlaanderen.
2) You can consult our overview lists: by category ( e.g. timeline, size, ...) or by region
3) You can also always consult tourist services: see our overview of tourist services
Tip 1: Ghent can be particularly busy during the high season and the Christmas period. It is best to book tickets online in advance if you want to avoid long queues. Without a ticket, you may have to wait an hour or more before you can start visiting the Gravensteen. Expect to pay EUR 13 for a standard admission ticket. From 2026, this will increase to EUR 15 (a more than 15% increase in one go). It is also worth mentioning that children under the age of 12 are admitted free of charge. As a result, this attraction has become a real playground in places, as some parents tend to let their children run wild. 😉
Did you know that visitor capacity is deliberately limited to approximately 500,000 visitors per year in order to protect the monument's carrying capacity?
Tip 2: Photographers be warned: photography with a tripod is prohibited. Reason? Unknown. Light-sensitive lenses with image stabilization are the solution because the rooms inside are relatively dark to very dark. There can also be large differences between sunlit areas and the rest of some parts of rooms, so HDR photography may be appropriate.
Tip 3:Audio guides are available. Ask for them in the shop. There are two tours you can follow: the "Comedy Tour" (the most comprehensive with 18 stops) and the "Big Five Tour."
Tip 4: In December 2025, a "Winter Bar" was set up in a basement room at the entrance. You don't need a ticket to the Gravensteen to visit this winter bar. It's cozy but crowded! We opted for a terrace a little further away, outside the walls of the Gravensteen.
Tip 5: You can walk around the outer wall of the castle and admire the city through the arrow slits. This is downright dangerous, as there is a drop of several meters next to this path . It's unbelievable that this is allowed from a safety perspective. Even indoor stairs are required by law to have handrails, but apparently not for a platform like this. It is only a matter of time before a serious accident occurs there. Be warned, especially if you have children. One misstep, or someone who gets dizzy on this walkway and falls on the wrong side, could be fatal (and we are not exaggerating). In principle, this should be temporarily closed off and remedial action taken immediately.
Geographical information
Address: Sint-Veerleplein, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium
Geographic coordinates:
– Google Maps: Latitude = 51.057188 – Longitude = 3.7205694
– Open Street Maps: Latitude = 51.057176 – Longitude = 3.720651
– Altitude h = 9 m
Location of Het Gravensteen on:
Tourist map of Top.Vlaanderen – Google Maps – OpenStreetMap.
Route to Het Gravensteen: Route via Google Maps
Meteo
5°C
| Day | Condition | Temperature | Precipitation | Rain Chance | Wind | Humidity | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Today
22:00
|
 light rain
|
4° | 6°°C | 1 mm | 100% | 38 Km/h | 83 % | 1001 mb |
|
Tomorrow
22:00
|
 light rain
|
4° | 6°°C | 1 mm | 100% | 43 Km/h | 92 % | 1015 mb |
|
Wed, Feb 26
10:00 p.m.
|
cloudy
|
2° | 5°°C | 0.48 mm | 48% | 38 Km/h | 79 % | 1015 mb |
|
Thu Feb 26
10:00 p.m.
|
cloudy
|
-0° | 4°°C | 0.67 mm | 67% | 41 Km/h | 86 % | 1025 mb |
|
Fri Feb 26
10:00 p.m.
|
partly cloudy
|
-2° | 4°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 30 Km/h | 70 % | 1034 mb |
| Hour | Condition | Temperature | Precipitation | Rain Chance | Wind | Humidity | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Today
10:00
|
light rain
|
6° | 7°°C | 0.3 mm | 30% | 33 Km/h | 83 % | 996 mb |
|
Today
13:00
|
light rain
|
6° | 7°°C | 1 mm | 100% | 37 Km/h | 79 % | 996 mb |
|
Today
16:00
|
light rain
|
7° | 7°°C | 0.21 mm | 21% | 35 Km/h | 75 % | 997 mb |
|
Today
19:00
|
light rain
|
6° | 6°°C | 1 mm | 100% | 31 Km/h | 80 % | 998 mb |
|
Today
22:00
|
light rain
|
4° | 4°°C | 1 mm | 100% | 38 Km/h | 79 % | 1001 mb |
|
Tomorrow
01:00
|
 cloudy
|
4° | 4°°C | 0.71 mm | 71% | 27 Km/h | 70 % | 1003 mb |
|
Tomorrow
04:00
|
light rain
|
6° | 6°°C | 0.23 mm | 23% | 37 Km/h | 70 % | 1004 mb |
|
Tomorrow
07:00
|
cloudy
|
4° | 4°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 35 Km/h | 67 % | 1005 mb |
Internet information from and about Het Gravensteen
Visitor numbers: 458,158 (2023) – 455,547 (2024)
The Gravensteen:
Website - Facebook - Instagram - 
YouTube - Wikipedia (EN - FR - AND)
Tourist Office “Visit Gent”:
Website - Facebook - Instagram
Information about “City of Ghent":
Website - Facebook - Instagram - Wikipedia (EN - FR - AND)
Adjacent hospitality business Pop-up “Winter bar”: (December 2025)
Website - Facebook
Our photos of Het Gravensteen
Our photos, videos, etc. are all (c) 2004-2026, Top.Vlaanderen, Belgium. They may not be reproduced or used without permission. However, they are available for licensing. If you would like us to photograph your own tourist attraction, B&B, vacation home, etc., that is also possible. Please contact us via our contact form .
Photos from the visit on December 22, 2025
Indoor recordings
Photos of Ghent city center taken from the observation platforms of Gravensteen Castle (December 22, 2025)
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Exterior shots
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Outdoor shots of the visit on August 6 and 7, 2025
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Disclaimer: All information presented on top.vlaanderen has been compiled with the utmost care. It is also checked regularly. If you have any comments, errors, additional information, etc... please contact us via our contact form. We are not responsible for possible incorrect or incomplete information.
