Sint-Amandsberg: Culture and History in Ghent

Sint-Amandsberg offers a remarkably rich combination of landscape, cemetery culture, church architecture and historic routes. Kapelleberg, also known as Sint-Amandsberg, is a witness hill that has dominated the landscape of Ghent since time immemorial. Those who want to combine a trip with cultural discoveries will find both striking buildings and places where the district’s history is revealed across different periods.

Kapelleberg and Campo Santo

Campo Santo is located on Kapelleberg in the centre of Sint-Amandsberg. The protected townscape includes cemetery areas dating from 1847 and 1856, as well as an extension from 1876. The landscape setting is also remarkable: Campo Santo lies on a 19-metre-high witness hill formed from windblown sand ridges that originated in the Pleistocene. At this site, topography and remembrance culture therefore come together directly.

Campo Santo contains a remarkable number of graves of famous Flemish figures. A Visit Gent walking map leads to 49 famous graves and explains the history of those buried there. There is also a themed walk about the First World War, with ten stops at selected gravestones. This can be a fitting way to get to know a place not only through its architecture, but also through individual life stories.

Baroque, Art Nouveau and Modern Sacred Architecture

The Sint-Amandus Chapel was built in 1720–1721 in characteristic Baroque architecture. The Heilig-Hart Church presents a different architectural accent: a three-nave basilica in a strictly neo-Gothic style. The Heilig-Kruis Church in Westveld, by contrast, was built between 1963 and 1965 in the Modernist style, based on designs by the architect Paul Van Maele. Sint-Amandsberg thus offers a broad architectural progression from the Baroque period through neo-Gothic to modernism.

The deconsecrated Heilig-Hart Church is used by Hartetroef as an open venue with a social restaurant, multipurpose halls and a neighbourhood kitchen. The history of Maalderij Capiteyn also reflects the district’s transformation: the actual mill was housed in a former coach house and was converted into a sugar and chocolate factory in 1863. The villa with its entrance gate is designed in the Art Nouveau style and was probably designed by Geo Henderick in 1909–1910. The dates and the cautious wording regarding the attribution are part of the respective history.

Routes for Cyclists and Walkers

Those who want to explore Sint-Amandsberg actively can include the different options in their daily itinerary. The City of Ghent offers a 9 km cycling route through Sint-Amandsberg as part of its routes through the city’s twentieth-century districts. Take this specific route into account when planning if you want to experience the district by bicycle.

Walks also explore a range of historical themes. The free heritage walking plan Een half dagske Sint-Amandsberg was published on 10 June 2018 and was intended as an outing to explore Sint-Amandsberg. At the Groot Begijnhof in Sint-Amandsberg, Convent 15 was an open-to-the-public studio location during the 19th edition of NUCLEO Open Studios. The Groot Begijnhof itself is protected as a monument and townscape and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Hogeweg archaeological site is interpreted as a location with two large circular ritual-funerary monuments dating from the Early or Middle Bronze Age.

Which Accommodation Suits Your Travel Plans?

If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Sint-Amandsberg, it is helpful to start by deciding on your preferred travel rhythm. Culture enthusiasts can focus on Campo Santo, the Groot Begijnhof and the various churches. Those who prefer to combine activity and discovery can include the 9 km cycling route or one of the themed walks in their plans. The different themes offer a range of ways to explore Sint-Amandsberg culturally, by bicycle or on themed walks.

Plan your accommodation search around the experiences that matter most to you. For further orientation, you can also look at the neighbouring destinations Gentbrugge, Ledeberg and Drongen.

For the overarching travel overview: Ghent.