Korenmarkt

The Korenmarkt

The Ghent audio-guided tour leads you to the Korenmarkt, nicknamed the "vibrant heart of Ghent", a lively square at the crossing of the great shopping streets.

The former grain market

Nearly a thousand years ago, the Korenmarkt was the place where the grain brought by the Scheldt and the Lys was sold: its name moreover translates literally as "grain market". Raised to the rank of economic hub in the Middle Ages, the esplanade has always known a strong animation. All around, several merchant houses tell their history through superb constructions that have crossed the centuries, the great majority of which goes back to the medieval era and bears the emblematic gabled roofs characteristic of Ghent. Today, the meeting point of the two most frequented shopping streets, the Korenmarkt welcomes people of Ghent and visitors come to chat on a terrace, in an authentic and secular setting.

What there is to see

The Korenmarkt offers a lively and convivial square, lined with merchant houses with gabled roofs and lively terraces. It is the ideal starting point to explore the historic centre and enjoy the Ghent atmosphere. Between medieval heritage and merchant life, the esplanade well sums up the art of living of the city.

Practical information

The Korenmarkt is in the heart of the historic centre of Ghent. A public square, it can be walked freely at all hours and on the level; its shops and terraces follow their own hours.

What does the name Korenmarkt mean?

Literally "grain market", because it is there that the grain brought by the Scheldt and the Lys was sold nearly a thousand years ago.

What can one see around the Korenmarkt?

Medieval merchant houses with gabled roofs, emblematic of the architecture of Ghent, and many lively terraces.