Hotel d'Hane Steenhuyse

About the museum

On 16 July 1698 Jonkheer Jean-Baptiste d'Hane bought a house on the Veldstraat in Ghent. The d'Hane family was an old Ghent family that had sat on the city council for centuries, but had only recently been raised to the nobility. In the decades after the purchase the house was extended and embellished until, at the end of the 18th century, it had become a true city palace, a so-called hôtel de maître.

Count Jean-Baptiste d'Hane de Steenhuyse (1757–1826) gave the house its renown. Distinguished guests stayed there, among them the Russian Tsar Alexander I and Frederick I, Prince of Orange. In 1815 the French king Louis XVIII also found refuge in the house, after fleeing Napoleon's troops.

The building was listed as a monument in 1953. In 1981 the city of Ghent bought it, and since then it has had a cultural function. The hotel is managed by Historische Huizen Gent, together with the adjoining Huis Arnold Vander Haeghen.

Inside you will find a majestic grand staircase, a ballroom and richly decorated salons. On the first floor are the more intimate rooms: the separate bedrooms of the count and the countess, the music salon and the children's apartments. Service stairs lead to the servants' quarters, a world of upstairs downstairs.

Highlights

• Majestic grand staircase and ballroom from the end of the Ancien Régime
• Richly decorated salons with artistic furniture, wallpaper and murals
• Bedrooms, music salon and children's apartments on the first floor
• Service stairs and servants' quarters: upstairs downstairs
• Guest book with distinguished visitors, including King Louis XVIII and Tsar Alexander I
• Garden of the city palace

Permanent exhibition

• Stadspaleis Hotel d'Hane Steenhuyse – Restored hôtel de maître with a grand staircase, ballroom, salons and bedrooms from the late 18th century, plus the servants' quarters.

Founded

1981

Operated by

Stad Gent (Historische Huizen Gent)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

The individual visit is free; you give a voluntary contribution. A guided tour costs €10 per person.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The city palace is only partly accessible to wheelchair users: with a walkway in place, the ground floor can be visited. The gardens of Hotel d'Hane Steenhuyse and Huis Arnold Vander Haeghen can be visited. Pets are not allowed, except guide dogs.

Kids & families

Schools can book a 90-minute tour tailored to the class; children and young people under 19 join the join-in tour for free.

Getting there & parking

The city palace lies in Ghent's low-emission zone; vehicles without a Belgian or Dutch number plate must register via lez.gent. Huis Arnold Vander Haeghen (Veldstraat 82) is across the road.

Amenities & dining

• Lockers

The hotel has lockers. Smoking, eating and drinking are not allowed in the rooms.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit