The Vegan Digital Nomad Guide to Ghent, Belgium
I’ve spent a few days in Ghent, Belgium in April 2025.
I didn’t go with many expectations and was pleasantly surprised by what the city has to offer. In Ghent, there are cute cafés around every other corner, everything is easily reachable by bike, and I loved the middle-age-like vibes that make the old town feel like a quiet movie set.
Ghent is a vibrant student city—and you can feel that energy everywhere. With around 80,000 students in a city of about 260,000 people, the student presence is huge. That mix brings a special kind of dynamic: international, youthful, open-minded. It gives Ghent the perks of a buzzing city while still keeping a relaxed, small-town feel. The city has the perfect size—not too big, not too small. Ideal for exploring by bike, sitting by the canals, or finding your favorite corner café to work from.
Accommodation
I booked a room on Airbnb in a lovely traditional Belgian townhouse, just a bit outside the city center. It is great value for money, and the design and decorations of the building and room made the whole experience even more special.
Eating Out
Cafés for Remote Work
My #1 recommendation is the Take Five Espresso Bar. You can start your morning by sitting at the window and work with good views onto the city street, while sipping an out cappuccino and eating some homemade overnight oats with fresh fruit.
Another great option is O'yo. They have two locations in town, and offer healthy, fresh and ultra tasty vegan breakfast and lunch. I had the pancakes and avocado toast.
The used book Café also looked very promising, although I didn't make it during my three days stay. You can try and let me know!
Also, do not skip Kultur Bakery! They are right next to the Take Five Espresso Bar, and have a huge selection of vegan pastries. Some of the best I've ever had!
Restaurants
If you only have on day, go eat the BEST vegan Pizza you have ever had at Plant a Pizza. This is a no-brainer. They also have Tiramisu!
When you're looking for healthy food, Le Botaniste is your go-to place. They have a goood selection of bowls, soups, curries and more.
Another place I saw recommended often is knol&kool. Unfortunatley it was closed while I was there, but I'm sure they have great food too.
The same goes for Madam Bakster.
Belgian Chocolate
This is a special one: HOLY COW. An Italian guy and his Belgian wife built up a fair-trade cacao farm in India, where they source the highest quality beans from, and they now make their own chocolate right in their store in Ghent. Really creative offerings, and incredibly good.
Groceries
For groceries, I found Albert Hejn to have a great and high quality selection. They have multiple locations in the city.
Activities and Sightseeing
I'm not gonna list all the touristy attractions here, but instead point out what I did and my personal recommendations.
I did two free walking tours by Local Legends: "Free Historical Tour: History and Legends of Ghent" and "Free Evening Tour: The Dark Side of Ghent". While the guide on the former tour was not that good (it's just a luck thing, I'm sure), I loved the latter tour, as it showed many new places that I had not seen even though I had already spent three days in the city. The stories told were somewhat repetitive though, so I think you should just go for one of them.
Climbing the Belfry tower is fun, and gives you some good views over the city.
I also found the Industriemusem to be insightful. The exhibition tells you about the rich textile industry history of Ghent.
For going out at night, I recommend the bars west of the Vrijdagmarkt. It's where all the locals and students go. Bar Lume had a great live concert on Monday evening when I was there.
Getting Around Town
This city is built for cycling, and its lots of fun! I regularly used the E-Bikes provided by Bolt and Dott to get around, as well as the normal bikes by Donkey Republic. These you can even keep longer, quite cost-efficient.
Final Words
I loved my short stay, and am looking forward to the day I'll be back. When you visit too, be sure to let me know about your experiences!