Europe's most 'walkable city' less than 3 hours from UK 'feels like small town'
A charming chocolate-box town is also one of the best cities for walking in Europe.
Ghent, a port city on Belgium’s northwest coast, is home to one of the largest car-free zones on the Continent. This is not by chance but by design and the hard work of campaigners desperate for more peace, clean air and safer streets.
In 1997 a large section of the city centre was pedestrianised, before another major expansion 20 years later. It is now the largest car-free historic centre in Belgium, stretching out across 70 hectares as it does. The change to the way of life in the city over the past 25 years has been dramatic.
By also encouraging shared transport as part of the action plan for a car-free city centre, car journeys in Ghent have reduced from 55% to 27%, according to CoMoUK. The city's chiefs hope that a third or more of all journeys in Ghent are made by bike by 2030.
The city is designed to be liveable and walkable (Getty Images/Westend61)A big part of the project has been bringing life and energy back into streets which were previously dominated by cars. In Ghent they call this concept a 'a living street' - essentially a road that is partially or completely closed off to automobiles to be used for alternative purposes, and normally active for a two-month period over summer.
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At first just two roads were chosen as 'living streets', but that has been expanded to 25 now, City Changers writes.
It began as an experiment involving only two streets almost 8 years ago but now extends to over 25 residential roads across the city. If you head to Ghent in the summer you'll find local children playing freely down these roads, elderly residents tending their allotments where cars used to be parked, and families barbecuing on the curb deep into the evening.
Although it’s a city, many of Ghent’s top attractions are within easy walking distance of each other. The VisitGhent website reads: "Ghent is a city with a small town feel, don’t be afraid to throw away your handy walking map and follow your nose. It’s so much fun to discover things for yourself."
As well as enjoying the car free environment, there is plenty to check out in Ghent if you do make it over there. The Castle of the Counts is located in Patershol, a neighbourhood maze of cobbled streets.
Inside the castle, tourists can see armour, weapons and a torture chamber. From the fortress walls, visitors can get a fantastic view of the city.
The city's three towers are also worth seeing. The Saint Nicholas Church, Belfry and Saint Bavo’s Cathedral define the skyline from outside and are richly decorated inside. Ghent’s Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art features work by modern artists such as Francis Bacon.
When it comes to sitting down for a bite, fries covered in stewed gravy and cheese are a staple, as they are in most of the country. Those with a sweet tooth will love gestreken mastellen, a form of sweet cinnamon pastry, and a popular dessert.
To get there, the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels takes two hours, with the connecting leg to Ghent another 50 minutes. Alternatively, driving on a ferry at Dover leaves you with just an hour and 40 minute drive once on the mainland.
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