Oude Vismijn

In 1872 the market building was devastated by fire. Only the monumental Baroque portal remained largely unscathed. It stands to this day, topped by a statue of a trident-bearing Neptune greeting visitors as they enter the intimate courtyard.

After the fire, a new market building was erected in the then-popular neo-Gothic style. It remained in use until the 1960s. Following a period of decay, it was comprehensively renovated. It now houses Ghent’s Tourist Office – and offers state-of-art congress and meeting facilities.

At the Oude Vismijn, you have a choice of four spacious meeting rooms. De Markt is the former market hall. This huge space, which has retained its original cast-iron roof structure, can hold 500 people seated and 850 standing. It is connected to a separate mezzanine and a sky box.

Other rooms hold up to 250 people, depending on whether you are organizing a dinner or a standing reception. Each room offers splendid views on the River Leie, Ghent’s famous Three Towers and the magnificent Graslei, where the city port was located during the Middle Ages. In the summer months, your guests can enjoy their drinks on a sunlit pontoon on the river.

The Oude Vismijn isn’t so much close to a historic city as right in the middle of it. Ghent’s shops, restaurants, cafés and historic monuments are all within walking distance, as are dozens of hotels in every price range. So if you want your visitors to be in the heart of the action, the Oude Vismijn is the place to go.

Historical without being provincial, lively without being boisterous. That's the perfect way to describe Ghent. The compact city is the ideal location for your conference, with all the venues and hotels right in the middle of the magnificent historic center.

VISITFLANDERS Convention Bureau will be happy to give you alle the information you need, and offer your association or PCO free support, no strings attached.