The abbey that ruled the left bank
Saint Peter's Abbey was a Benedictine house for over a thousand years and, for much of that time, the most powerful institution on Ghent's left bank. It owned land, collected tolls and answered mostly to itself. The complex you see now is a mix of ancient and later rebuilding, and it works as a museum and exhibition space. Monks once ran this whole neighbourhood. Now it's a very atmospheric place to spend an afternoon.