Despite being one of Belgium’s oldest cities, Ghent remains small enough to feel cozy but big enough to be a vibrant, relevant center for trade and culture. There’s a wealth of medieval and classical architecture here, contrasted by large post-industrial areas undergoing urban renewal that give Ghent a gritty-but-good industrial feel.
In the center, tourists remain surprisingly thin on the ground, but Ghent’s large student and youth population mean there are always people about, enjoying the city’s fabulous canal-side architecture, an abundance of quirky bars and good-value restaurants, and some of Belgium’s best museums.