Gravensteen Castle

I visited Gravensteen castle in Ghent, Belgium when I lived there for Erasmus last year. I was lucky enough to visit on a beautiful sunny day, which I would recommend as there is a chance to go outside and explore the walls and garden.

There are beautiful narrow staircases in which to climb with different levels in which you can stop and walk around them. They contain a lot of information on different aspects of the Middle Ages. There is one level dedicated to the torture methods of that era and contains a guillotine, I have attached a picture of it. Another level gives information on all the different weapons and armour used back then. You can also get an elevator which stops on all the different levels if you would prefer to do that.

Some of the castle is surrounded by a river and it is breathtaking to view. There is also a door outside which leads down to underneath the castle. The atmosphere is different down there as you can really feel the emptiness of the area.

I visited the castle on my own and found it to be a great way to spend a few hours. The views of Ghent from the top are spectacular.