2 Best Sights in Ghent and the Leie, Belgium

This small nature reserve on the western edge of town takes its name from the 11 bulwarks that used to reinforce the city defenses. This was where the eighth once stood, though only parts of the wall still survive here, with bats having taken up residence in the old gunpowder bunker. It makes for a pleasant stroll or picnic spot and is filled with beehives. 

This kid-friendly natural-history museum exhibits cover geology, the evolution of life, human biology and reproduction, and a diorama room of indigenous birds. There is also a garden site a short bus ride from Sint-Pietersplein (No. 5; get off at Tolhuislaan) with more than 1,000 plant species, a bee colony, and live tarantulas.