Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent

Situated on the east side of Citadel Park, the Museum of Fine Arts (Museum voor Schone Kunsten) holds a large permanent collection of art from the Middle Ages to the mid-20th Century. The collection focuses on Flemish Art (Southern Netherlands) but also has several European – especially French – paintings. It also has a large number of sculptures. Aside from its permanent collection, the museum houses temporary exhibitions. The building was designed by city architect Charles van Rysselberghe around 1900. The museum is a member of The Flemish Art Collection, which is a structural partnership joining the three main museums of fine arts in Flanders: the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, the Groeninge Museum in Bruges and the Gent Museum of Fine Arts.

Why You Should Visit:
To enjoy works of different periods including the 17th-century and Baroque styles as well as most that followed: Romanticism, Impressionism, Expressionism, abstract art.
A particularly interesting part of this gallery is the restoration workroom that allows you to witness and understand the technique of restoring the older paintings.

Tip:
Make sure to pick up a map as the layout may be a bit confusing, but once you figured it out it is easy to follow the timeline from oldest to modern works.