Whether you’re an art lover or a romantic soul, the Lightning Bird Tree is definitely a place you should go to when visiting Ghent. The art installation, also known as “Les oiseaux de Mr. Maeterlinck”, is inspired by the famous fairy tale “L’Oiseau Bleu” of the Ghent Nobel Prize winner Maurice Maeterlinck and is about the quest for happiness symbolized by a blue bird. The artwork was previously one of the highlights at Ghent Light Festival in 2012.

Standing at the artwork you get a stunning view over the Leie river and the reflection of the medieval houses in the water. Every time I pass there I am attracted by this beautiful location in the middle of the center, where the effect of the light artwork even gains more strength because of its reflection in the Leie.

Make sure you pass before the clock hits twelve, because the dream only lasts until midnight…