City trip Ghent: riverlight, brickwork & a long-sleeve habit

Ghent has its own kind of softness: water turning the city into a reflection, old stone catching pale daylight, red brick adding warmth even when the air is sharp. You walk a few minutes, hear a bicycle bell, then only footsteps on cobbles – and suddenly the view stays with you, as if the city quietly decided to keep it.

For days like this I pack a long-sleeve shirt that does more than look tidy. A GERMENS shirt in natural cotton feels comfortable in motion, stays pleasantly wearable, and is durable enough for real travel pace. The fabric is naturally odour-neutral, which matters when a day stretches from coffee to late dinner. One shirt can carry you from morning to evening, but I still like bringing a second – a simple change for photos, a restaurant, or just a different mood. Rolled up, the shirts are light and surprisingly compact in a bag. If you want the category: Shirts is where I start.

Did you know that Charles V was born in Ghent? Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain. In Ghent, facts like that don’t feel like trivia – they fit the streets, the façades, the way the city carries time without showing off.

Morning: following the water, finding the skyline

I like beginning by the river, watching the surface gather and break the city into moving pieces. From there it’s natural to drift toward Graslei and Korenlei, where the façades line up like a calm argument for patience. A short pause on St Michael’s Bridge does the rest: three towers in one sightline, and suddenly you understand why Ghent doesn’t need a loud centre to feel complete.

Not a tourist uniform: why a shirt changes the day

This is where the long-sleeve choice pays off. A shirt reads as “put together” without being overdressed, and that makes spontaneous stops easier: museums, churches, galleries, even a better restaurant when you didn’t plan dinner. It also changes how people approach you – you get more eye contact, more small talk, a friendlier tone. And if the sun suddenly comes out, long sleeves are a light, practical cover without turning the day into a performance.

I won’t turn it into a spec sheet, but the quality shows up in small things: a subtle GERMENS collar notch, angled cuffs, robust buttons, a Kent collar with stainless-steel stays, and stitching that feels precise rather than precious. Sizes run from XS to 6XL, and if sizing feels uncertain, the Try-on service makes it straightforward before you travel.

A castle in the middle of the city

Then I head for the medieval heartbeat: the Castle of the Counts. Corridors tighten, stairs climb, stone turns into a kind of texture you can almost hear. Afterwards, Patershol feels like a quiet aftertaste – narrow streets, small windows, a neighbourhood scale that makes you slow down without asking.

Somewhere between Hoogpoort and the centre, I usually slip past the graffiti alley (Werregarenstraatje). It changes constantly, never finishes its sentences, and that is exactly the point. Ghent is medieval, yes – but it is also very much alive.

An art pause in the park

When my head is full, I like a softer detour: Citadel Park and the MSK Ghent. One hour inside shifts the rhythm completely. You step back out and the same streets look more deliberate, as if the city sharpened its edges while you weren’t watching.

Evening: a second shirt, a louder city

Evenings in Ghent invite small decisions: one square, one bar, one extra turn by the water. This is when I’m glad I packed a second rolled-up shirt – a quick change, a cleaner look for dinner, and the day still feels relaxed. If you need something without waiting, Immediately available can be a useful shortcut, and if you want a fit tweak before the next trip, the Modification service keeps it simple.

In July, the city can turn outward during the Ghent Festivities – ten days of music, street life, and unexpected conversations. And still, the quieter Ghent remains underneath: water, brick, and a pace that feels human. Back in the room I think briefly about care and travel dust; the washing notes are here: Care. And for first-time customers or made-to-order details, the essentials are clearly explained in Notes on products on manufacture – so the next city day starts as calmly as this one ends.