The city of Ghent (with a guttural Gh or French version is Gent) is very different from Bruges in some ways and the same in some ways.  Both cities were prosperous in the Middle Ages from trade in textiles and both went into decline though Ghent remained a “living” city while Bruges became a jewel box for tourists.  It might be hard to image but Ghent was at one time the largest city in Europe.  It really is a living city with a university, lots of young people, and seems to have a bit more grittiness than Bruges.