St Bavo's Cathedral and the Ghent Altarpiece

St Bavo's Cathedral stands on Sint-Baafsplein in the centre of Ghent, in the Flemish Region of Belgium, and houses one of the most studied paintings in Western art, the Ghent Altarpiece, also known as the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, completed in 1432 by Hubert and Jan van Eyck. The polyptych is displayed in a dedicated, climate-controlled space within the cathedral, where visitors can see the twelve panels in their open arrangement, and an audio guide explains the iconography, from the central Lamb of God to the figures of Adam and Eve. The building itself is a layered Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque church with a tall Brabantine-style tower, a crypt with medieval wall paintings, and an interior of marble, carved wood and chapel altars, including a painting by Rubens. Entry to the church is free, while a separate ticket covers the altarpiece, and the crypt can be visited as part of the visit. A typical visit takes about an hour, longer for those who follow the full audio commentary. The altarpiece area is arranged to limit crowding, so queues are most likely at midday and on weekends, especially in summer, when tour groups arrive. Weekday mornings are generally the quietest. Photography of the altarpiece is not permitted, and the staff ask visitors to keep voices low because the building is an active place of worship. From the cathedral, the Belfry and the Cloth Hall are directly alongside, and the Graslei and Korenlei quays are a short walk to the west. Tram 1 stops at Korenmarkt, about four minutes on foot, and the whole historic centre is compact enough to see on foot.