Like many towns in the Middle Ages, Ghent was enclosed by several canals. These were meant to protect the town from the dangers that threatened its inhabitants. Near the gate ("poort" in dutch) to the town there was a field ("akker" in dutch): the Poortackere. In this field a complex for beguines was built, which was also called Poortackere by the people of Ghent. In one of the walls of the building there is an 18th century stone which reveals that the beguine house was founded in 1278. Not long after this, a chapel and a churchyard were added. Poortackere mainly housed older and sick beguines. During the French revolution all cloisters, churches and beguin complexes were seized by the town councils, so the council of Ghent confiscated Poortackere. In 1863 the site was sold to the Count Joseph de Hemptinne, a notorious maecenas of the Neogothic Movement. With his permission, a congregation was housed here. At first there were plans to restore the old buildings, but in the end a new, neogothic cloister was built. Most buildings of Poortackere date from that period. A new chapel, two inside gardens and an orphanage became part of the complex. After World War II the site was an orphanage, a house for young women and a student residence. In 1998 there were still 6 nuns living here, but the maintenance costs became too much, so the buildings were sold. Thanks to private initiative, the site has been transformed into a hotel, guest rooms and a restaurant. As a result, everybody can now enjoy the architecture and the special atmosphere. No imposing entrance or red carpet awaits you here. No clue on the outside that behind the centuries-old frontage on Oude Houtlei is an ancient cloister: PoortAckere. An oasis of peace, hidden away from the bustle of the city. Once inside you find yourself in a former nunnery whose history goes back to 1278. The building that turned its back on the world for so many centuries now reveals its secrets to a few favoured guests. The atmosphere is serene and restful, as befits an age-old neogothic building. And yet PoortAckere retains its unique character, as a medieval cloister with its own history.
