My daughter and I will be in Ghent for one day in late September, and we want to visit St. Bavo's Cathedral and see the Ghent Altarpiece. Do we need to reserve a timeslot in advance? (We'll be there on a weekday.)
Posted by
Ghent
6 posts
It’s always a good idea to book in advance. See the link for FAQ’s. https://www.sintbaafskathedraal.be/en/ghent-altarpiece-ar-tour/faq/
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
7503 posts
We there in September. We booked in advance. It was fairly quiet first thing in the morning, and a few people were able to purchase walk up tickets. Later in the day it was quite busy. If you know your day and time, I'd book in advance.
Posted by
Washington DC
29367 posts
You can probably wing it if you aren't interested in the popular augmented-reality experience to precede the visit to the altarpiece, but the AR+altarpiece tickets do sell out ahead of time. I wasn't interested in the AR bit, so I was able to visit last month without planning ahead. The room containing the altarpiece wasn't terribly crowded. However, it would be prudent to allow more time than you think you need in case there are too many other people there when you initially arrive. There will be a surge just after the AR bit ends, when all those folks head up to the altarpiece. There are some lovely relatively contemporary stained-glass to be seen on that same (upper) floor of the cathedral.
The five upper panels (not the Mystic lamb panel) are being restored at the fine arts museum (MSK), where they can be seen behind glass. Copies have been substituted in the altarpiece at the cathedral. If you go to the MSK on a weekday, you will probably be able to observe the restorers at work.
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
7503 posts
Just another perspective. We did like the AR, it provided a lot of information in an entertaining way. Off the top of my head, I can't recall the price. If its pricey, then consider skipping. Just quickly looking at the website, I think the AR is 4 euro more.
Posted by
IJzendijke, The Netherlands
2277 posts
In preperation of your visit, this website gives you an idea about the level of detail the works of art were painted. It shows not only the Ghent Altharpiece but also their other paintings from other museums. The scale helps to see how incredible accurate the details are.
Posted by
San Diego, California
6667 posts
The AR presentation was well-done and very worth it. My husband, not an art lover, still talks about the experience. And yes, do book in advance.
Have a great trip!
Posted by
OP
135 posts
Thank you for the helpful information! We're very much looking forward to our trip.