The Grote Markt is the heart of the city, a large rectangular square overshadowed by the cathedral on one side and the town hall on the other. The square is ringed by handsome 17th and 18th-century guild houses and a few good cafés with outdoor tables in summer.
A statue of Margaret of Austria stands in the middle, holding the keys of the city she effectively ruled as governor of the Habsburg Netherlands between 1507 and 1530. Markets are still held here on Saturday mornings, and during the year the square hosts the city's open-air festivals — Maanrock at the end of August is the big one, a free weekend of music that fills the centre.