Hotels near Patershol

Patershol is the tight labyrinth of 16th- and 17th-century houses immediately north of Gravensteen Castle - eight narrow cobbled streets, three named after the Carmelite friars who lived here (the paters, hence Patershol, the fathers' hole), a small central square, and about 40 restaurants packed into a district you can walk across in 4 minutes. Once a working-class slum on the edge of demolition in the 1970s, it was saved by a resident-led restoration and now holds most of Ghent's Michelin-recommended kitchens without ever feeling touristy.

Highlights: Publiek (Sint-Widostraat 1), a modern Belgian tasting menu that regularly holds a Bib Gourmand; De Vitrine (Brabantdam 134), butcher's-shop-plus-restaurant; and 't Klaverblad (Corduwaniersstraat 61), the best-value classic Flemish stew and vol-au-vent in the city. The Huis van Alijn folklore museum on Kraanlei 65 (EUR 8) shows domestic Flemish life across three centuries in a set of restored almshouses and is quietly one of the best small museums in Belgium.

Pro Tip: Book Patershol dinner at least a week ahead in summer or on any Friday and Saturday; kitchens are small and locals have the good tables. Julie's House on Kraanlei 13 does the best breakfast waffles in the district for EUR 6, no booking needed.