Ghent City Museum (STAM), Ghent

The City Museum of Ghent, otherwise known as STAM, exposes the city history and opened its doors in 2010. Among other things here you will learn about the ancient Bijloke Abbey on the grounds of which the museum is situated. The permanent exhibition titled "The Story of Ghent" charts major milestones of the city's development throughout centuries, starting from modern Ghent on the first floor to the medieval period, featuring the "chastened city" of 1600-1800, the "industrial city" of 1800-1950 and ultimately the "network city" from 1950 to the present day.

Eyecatching parts of the museum are the sky picture of Ghent (300 m² large) on which the visitors can walk around, and software with which Ghent can be viewed in detail and over the course of four centuries. "Views on Ghent" is another multimedia application: a screen shows a city view from the year 1534, floor-plans from 1614 and 1912 and a sky picture from the present. There is also a room for temporary exhibitions.

Why You Should Visit:
The displays, organization, items, and flow through the rooms and the history of Ghent are so well done – no wonder this won the 2012 Flemish Museum Prize.

Tip:
It is well worth supplementing the info boards with the free audio guides, as some of the panels are in Flemish only.
Also, notice the benches in the corridors. Lean back and press the English button on the seats for more commentary.