Travel
Most underrated city in Europe has pretty architecture and is 1 hour from UK
In a short video on YouTube, @MarkEarthExplored shared a video of “a true hidden gem“.
The social media user, who has 60 subscribers, said in the video: “I found the most underrated city in Europe.”
The video, which has received more than 130 likes, showed clips of the city of Ghent in Belgium.
The city is the capital of the country’s East Flanders province and the third-largest city in the whole country.
As one of Belgium’s oldest cities, it is known for having a rich history and incredible architecture including the 292-foot-tall Saint Bavo’s Cathedral.
Other notable sites in Ghent include The Groot Vleeshuis, which translates to The Great Butcher’s Hall, a former covered market and guildhall; the Gravensteen a medieval castle that dates from 1180; and St Elisabeth Church which is one of three beguinages in Ghent.
If you’re not into architecture then you could visit one of Ghent’s many museums.
The Museum voor Schone Kunsten is an art museum that consists of 9,000 pieces of art which date back to the Middle Ages.
The collection mainly showcases Flemish Art but there are also paintings from several European artists.
There’s also the Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (SMAK), which translates to the City Museum for Contemporary Art. This new museum has a permanent collection that includes art by Andy Warhol and Francis Bacon.
Alternatively, foodies can enjoy some of the city’s delicious delicacies including sweet bagels known as “mastellen” or “Saint Hubert bread”.
A mastel is a soft bagel-like bun which is flavoured with cinnamon and sweetened with sugar.
Another local delicacy is praline chocolates also known as cuberdons. These chocolates are cone-shaped, filled with a raspberry-flavoured filling and are also known as “neuzekes”, or “little noses”.
Tourists can easily visit Ghent by plane, train or car. It takes just under three hours to travel from London to Ghent by train while a flight is around one hour.
It takes roughly 4.5 hours to drive from London to Ghent but it may take more or less time depending on where you are driving from.