Ghent may be the second-largest city in Belgium today, but in the Middle Ages of northern Europe, it played second fiddle only to Paris. The temples to Ghent’s past prosperity are everywhere in the old city (and are protected as UNESCO sites). The Museum of Fine Arts is Belgium’s oldest museum (and turns 228 this year). Do not miss the newly restored Ghent Altarpiece, aka the Mystic Lamb painting, in St Bavo’s Cathedral. An augmented-reality experience will explain everything. In addition to its priceless history, Ghent is fearlessly living in the moment with citizens from 160 nationalities calling the city home (and enjoying Europe’s sixth-lowest poverty rate), along with approximately 85,000 university students arriving each autumn to study at the city’s two universities and four university colleges, with Ghent University contributing to a #42 ranking in our Educational Attainment subcategory. Local accountability to the future has established programmes like energy-efficient city lighting, canal cleanup tours, low-emission zones, no-meat days and more equitable home- sharing platforms. The city is also building a new village to house Ukrainian refugees comfortably in a city that ranks #22 for Housing Affordability and, with new housing projects on its Old Dockyards brownfield site, is committed to more housing access.