The 5 strangest lost and abandoned churches in Ghent

The old abbey church of Sint-Baafs has vanished. It was demolished by the Spanish in the 16th century, leaving behind an empty space. But then in 2006 the city gardens department decided to plant tall clipped hornbeam bushes to mark the outline of the vanished 12th-century church.

The early 17th-century Drongenhof Chapel is a sad, abandoned place. It is sometimes used for concerts and exhibitions, but normally stays locked. Yet you can peer through the gap between the green doors to glimpse a modern stained glass window at the far end. Installed in 2003 by the Ghent artist Wim Delvoye, it is decorated with X-ray pictures of couples having sex.

From the outside, the store at Kortedagsteeg 12 looks fairly ordinary. But you are in for a surprise when you step through the door. The shop occupies a former 14th-century chapel with whitewashed walls and a high vaulted roof. Built for the Guild of Wool Weavers, the chapel has served in the past as a cinema, reading room and garage. It was converted into a shop in 2002 by the Antwerp architect Christine Conix.

An isolated 18th-century baroque church in the Ghent docklands was acquired by the city in 2017. This rather strange building with its skinny tower is due to be restored. The city then plans to create a contemporary cultural centre with a programme of concerts, exhibitions and book fairs.

A beautiful baroque church that once belonged to the Franciscans has been turned into a social restaurant and concert hall. You can eat a healthy and inexpensive lunch amid the beautiful baroque confessionals and Catholic statues.