According to the New York Times, tourists should visit Ghent instead of Amsterdam or Venice. The paper went in search of an alternative to the two overcrowded cities on the water and picked the Belgian city.
The canals in Amsterdam and the gondolas in Venice attract around 10 million and 30 million tourists respectively every year. For those looking for a similar experience without the crowds, the New York Times has selected six alternative canal cities with the same – or perhaps even more – charm.
Ghent is on its list of destinations. “People are often too busy flocking to Bruges to experience Ghent’s charm,” it says. “The historical city, along the Scheldt River and a tributary, the Leie, is compact and mostly car-free, making it eminently walkable.”
The city’s appeal lies somewhere between its history and its modernity, according to the newspaper. “Wander through about 1,400 years of history by visiting the Gravensteen, a medieval castle, along with the city’s three beguinages — quiet courtyards once inhabited by women who devoted themselves to their faith without taking monastic vows.”
Ghent is also a remarkably modern city, the newspaper says, calling it “a pioneer of street art” with “a fantastic array of vintage shops”.
Haarlem in the Netherlands, Aveiro in Portugal, Hamburg in Germany, Strasbourg in France and Livorno in Italy also made the list.