Graslei

The Graslei is a row of tall, narrow guildhalls lining the west bank of the Leie river. These houses feature stepped gables that reflect in the dark water, dating mostly from the thirteenth to the seventeenth centuries. They served as the commercial center for the city, where grain brought by boat was taxed and traded. In nineteen oh six, the city undertook a massive restoration to prepare for the World Fair, stripping away later facades to reveal the original medieval stone and brickwork.