History:

    The Langemunt is without a doubt the oldest shopping street of the mediaeval Ghent. It has always been the shopping street where the most rich and important merchants settled. The gold- and silver forgers always had their store there and even today you won't find this many jewelry shops elsewhere.


    This street name has always put historian in front of an unsolvable problem. The mint of the duke was always at the Gravensteen (Castle of the Dukes) and the street next to it got the name Geldmunt (money mint). Then how can we explain this mint here? They never found a house here that was in the minting business. However, people forget that the mint at the Gravensteen only came there in 1350.


    Therefore, it is obvious that the mint, before being at the Gravensteen, during the previous centuries, this is in the beginning of the 11th till 14th century, was in a building in the Langemunt. Lange- and Korte Munt (long and short mint) formed one single street back then that was simply called the Munt (the mint).


    The oldest tracks of a neighbourhood council go back till 1648. Since 1982, the Langemunt has been a traffic free shopping/walking street. This way, people can shop cosy and at the same time look at the marvellous facades.