Graslei (; en, Grass Quay) is a
quay
A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring location ...
in the historic city center of
Ghent, Belgium
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...
, located on the right bank of the
Leie river
The Lys () or Leie () is a river in France and Belgium, and a left-bank tributary of the Scheldt. Its source is in Pas-de-Calais, France, and it flows into the river Scheldt in Ghent, Belgium. Its total length is .
Historically a very pollut ...
. The quay opposite of the Graslei is called
Korenlei
Korenlei (; en, Wheat Quay or Corn Quay) is a quay in the historic city center of Ghent, Belgium, located on the left bank of the Leie river. The quay on the opposite bank of the Leie is Graslei
Graslei (; en, Grass Quay) is a quay in the histor ...
. Both quays were part of the medieval port and are now a cultural and touristic hotspot of the city, with a high concentration of café patios.
The site, with its unique row of historical buildings, is a protected
cityscape
In the visual arts, a cityscape (urban landscape) is an artistic representation, such as a painting, drawing, print or photograph, of the physical aspects of a city or urban area. It is the urban equivalent of a landscape. ''Townscape'' is ...
.
History
Laid out along the Leie river, close to the mouth in the Scheldt, the site is considered one of the oldest of Ghent, dating back to the fifth century A.D. when Ghent was the center of the
wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
trade in the
County of Flanders
The County of Flanders was a historic territory in the Low Countries.
From 862 onwards, the counts of Flanders were among the original twelve peers of the Kingdom of France. For centuries, their estates around the cities of Ghent, Bruges and Ypr ...
. Most of the current houses on the Graslei date back to the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, although the monumental façades have been heavily modified in the 18th and 19th century and were restored in anticipation of the
1913 World's Fair hosted by Ghent.
Panorama
References
{{Commons category, Graslei
World Heritage Sites in Belgium
Buildings and structures in Ghent
Geography of Ghent
Tourist attractions in Ghent