Patershol is an atmospheric old neighbourhood in Ghent that still has its closed street pattern from the Middle Ages. The Lys Canal forms a natural border for it from the rest of the old city centre. In past centuries it originally housed the city's tradesmen and artisans. With more industrialization at the beginning of the 19th century many workers went live in Patershol, and many of the larger buildings were divided into smaller residences. At the end of that century the workers moved to the growing Ghent suburbs, and Patershol became neglected and shabby right up to the 1970s. Then as university students seeking cheap accommodation started to move into the area, extensive renovations began.
The district today is a charming web of twisting cobbled lanes, houses and many small cozy cafes and restaurants, many of which retain their original medieval structures. In 1981 the Patershol area became a protected townscape.