Sint-Veerleplein

Sint-Veerleplein is the historic square in Ghent dominated by the massive stone walls and crenellated towers of the Gravensteen, or Castle of the Counts. Built in eleven eighty by Philip of Alsace, the fortress was designed to project authority and intimidate the city's burghers. Today, the square serves as a bustling hub, but its origins are tied to a darker past as a place of public justice and execution.