AT A GLANCE
Why go?
On the north-eastern edge of Ghent's Vrijdagmarkt stands a quietly dignified 18th-century building whose name — the Cloth Measurers' Hall, or Lakenmetershuis — recalls the days when the cloth woven by rural weavers was officially measured and traded here. Today it is anything but a museum piece: it is the historic home of the Willemsfonds, one of Flanders' oldest cultural organisations, and a lively, intimate venue for theatre, cabaret, concerts and literary evenings. For visitors who like their culture served close-up rather than in a cavernous hall, it is one of Ghent's best-kept little secrets.↗↗↗
Set right on a picturesque market square brimming with cafés, the Lakenmetershuis pairs a sober, handsome classicist facade with a warm, sociable interior — a small cosy theatre hall and a friendly bar that reviewers consistently single out as the heart of its charm. Pop in for an evening performance and you'll find an honest, down-to-earth cultural space where the audience sits close enough to the stage to feel the energy of the room.↗↗
