Ghent - most surprising European city break of the year
The leading British-American travel magazine 'Condé Nast Travel(l)er' has nominated Ghent as one of the most surprising cities to visit in 2017.
In a comprehensive article, the travel magazine sings the praises of the city of the 'stroppendragers': “If Antwerp is the queen of fashion, Bruges the pin-up from the Middle Ages and Brussels the European heavyweight, Ghent has a refreshing approach and surreal humour that makes it the European city-break sensation of the year".
According to the article's author, Ghent has undergone an impressive makeover in the past 20 years. In his opinion, this is down to the high numbers of young people that are making their mark on the city itself. "In contrast to other Northern European cities that are facing an ageing population, Ghent, much like Gothenburg in Sweden, is a city where the culture and landscape is dominated by younger people." To illustrate this point, he mentions the many trendy businesses that have popped up in Ghent's city centre over the past 20 years.
It's not the first time that Ghent has been honoured in this way. The city regularly does very well in travel guide lists and has previously been put forward as the most underrated travel destination in Western Europe by the same magazine.