Ghent

Like its near neighbor Bruges, Ghent (spelled "Gent" in Dutch; "Gand" in French) was once one of the richest and largest towns in Western Europe. A medieval metropolis raised on the banks of the Scheldt and the Leie, it was famed throughout the continent for textiles trade. By the end of the 15th century, Ghent's cloth trade had begun to wane.

Unlike Bruges, Ghent was not saved by tourism but the Industrial Revolution. A visit to Manchester, England, by one enterprising Flemish entrepreneur led to him stealing plans for an early-model "mule jenny" (a machine for spinning cotton). A few years later the city was churning out cloth faster than ever.

For all its palpable history, Ghent still feels like a real city today. Bikes and trams course its cobblestone arteries, and its culinary and graffiti scenes are among the ripest in Belgium. It has also carved a niche for itself as the unofficial capital of beer, especially around the Patershol area. Those in the know say that it has a better concentration of excellent bars and microbreweries than anywhere else in the country.