Ghent - Friday Market Vrijdagmarkt

In the center of the Friday Market square stands the monument to the hero of Ghent Jacob van Artevelds, by Petrus de Vigne-Quyo in 1863.

Several guild houses surround the market: the House of the Tanners "Het Toreken", 1460, "Den Bonten Mantel" (No. 45) the furrier, 1675 and the "Lakenmetershuis" (No. 22) which was built on the site of the former tanners' guild house in the 18th C. The Art Nouveau "Ons Huis", belonging to the socialist workers' associations, was built about 1900.

From Kraanlei the Zuivelbrug crosses the Leie to Grootkanonplein, where stands the 5 meter long and 16 ton cast iron cannon "Dulle Griet" (Mad Meg). It dates from the mid-15th C. and could fire, not very accurately, 340kg cannonballs.

The Hoogpoort is continued by the Nederpolder. No. 1 is the twin-gabled Palais Vanden Meersche dated 1547, an attractive inner courtyard with Roccoco facades being added in the 18th C. No. 2 is "De kleine Sikkel", a Romanesque 13th C. patrician's house, which also belonged to the Van der Sickelen family.