The door led from the street into a small room with brick walls and a low wood ceiling. There, at the bar, white-bearded Pol Rysenaer was serving his flavored jenevers, the potent juniper-based drink akin to gin. He filled each small glass to just above the rim so that the only way to pick it up without spilling was first to bend down to the bar and sip until the drink was even with the rim. I was in ‘t Dreupelkot where, for 28 years, Pol has served his citron, raspberry, mango and 200 other flavored jenevers; and I came across it while wandering through the cobblestoned streets of old Ghent.

A half-hour train ride from Brussels, Ghent is a big small town. Its medieval Flemish architecture is so well preserved and so prevalent that to be in the midst of its historic area is to feel you’ve stepped back centuries. While its streets are narrow, Kouter, its central square, is a huge, car-free space. Car-free, yes, but watch out for Ghent’s hundreds of bicycles.

But forget both cars and bicycles. Walking through this 1,000-year-old world is the best way to experience it. In fact, everything interesting in Ghent is within walking distance. And we can add still another dimension to the experience by seeing it by boat. In this town sliced by inland waterways, there are five boating companies. I hopped on one plying the quiet canals and glided past some of Ghent’s oldest buildings not visible from the street.

For a small town, Ghent has an amazing number of museums, covering art to history to science. Because time meant choosing just one, I opted for the Design Museum Gent with its superb collection of Art Nouveau glass. As for choosing one church, make it St. Baaf ’s Cathedral, home of The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, the magnificent 20-panel altarpiece painted by the Van Eyck brothers in the early 1400s.

And then there is the food. Again, if there is time for only one memorable meal, head for Allegro Moderato. Ensconced in an 18th-century guild house, it serves contemporary French Belgian cuisine — beautifully prepared, exquisitely served and delicious. I’d gladly return to Ghent for another meal at Allegro Moderato.

In fact, I’d gladly return to Ghent for one more taste of Pol’s passion fruit jenevers.