Luxurious sights, vibrant street life, and hospitable locals await you in incomparably splendid cities. Imagine a whole new category ranking cities that ticks off literally all of your dream destinations. That category is the “smell index,” categorizing cities based off the quality of their scent.
Surprisingly Sniff Squad
HAYPP, a Scandinavian study group, ranked thirty European cities based on their smell. Yes, you heard that right. They macroscopic every single detail including flower shops, bakeries, perfumeries, and the sanitation of the streets. Their bottom line: which cities are breath-taking at just a sniff.
It wasn’t a shocker that the top-preferred destination is no longer Paris or in Switzerland, but Athens, Greece.
Top 10 Best-Smelling Cities (According to Science… and Noses)
Let’s not waste time. Here’s the sweet-smelling lineup:
- Luxembrg, Luxembourg
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Copenhague, Denmark
- Dublinc, Ireland
- Athens, Greece
- Nicosia, Cyprus
- Valletta, Malta
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Bucarest, Romeania
- Paris, France
Athens: Smells Like a Fresh Market Mixed With a Bakery
The strong positive scent of Athens is indisputable, and with a score of 8.3 out of ten there is a reason. The lively markets give a invigorating whiff of herbs alongside sizzling street food and mouthwatering pastries that are just waiting to be devoured like any greek would do. And unlike most cities, Athens has flower showrooms and boutiques selling perfumes, so the city has quite positive vibes. These 31 flower shops and 22 perfume stores for every 10 kilometers help Athens gain a score of scent.
What is even more astonishing is that the greek cities also value hygiene, they currently stand with rank 56.2 on the ecological performance indicator.
Paris: the birthplace of fragrances…’Croissons’, ‘April in Paris’, and ‘Mer Pique Wida’
Paris is accompanied by fond memories; smells and taste I so highly await. Paris has distinguished fragrance boutiques which offer some of the finest perfumes in the world like Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Frederic Malle. If I were to further elaborate, Paris is one of these rare cities that have a romantic aura and in addition, offer the world renowned croissants and donuts.
Perfumed baguette cafes and Paris croissants put its competitors to shame, With that said everyone would ask, “But…” The big question about the ‘city of love’ is obviously well known. It is questionable to highlight the amount of trash left on the street and rodents. However with sticking to elegant parts of the city and avoiding the sewers, Paris is indeed a kingdom for your nose.
Zurich: milk of swiss around, fancy gelaterie, and cleanest of the clean.
Unsual to some people but Zurich mortally provides for pleasantries of the nose. Clean fresh river air sets a distinguishing feature for this part of the world together with fine swiss cheese fashionable up into fondue. Having set off enjoying the hot melted cheese one cannot help but feel amazement at the sparkling horizon with pure smelling nature embracing the city. Elevation gives a spectacular view for everyone who wishes to visit this region. And turning back to the remarkable sights – clean air bordering with super tidy Zurich guarantees surprise for every visitor.
If scents are your obsession, then you should visit these cities
These cities are a must-see for any traveler who enjoys fragrances in addition to sights and tastes. Smelling a city is refreshing, and it simply hits different in a good way.
Next time you go on a trip, do not picture the average tourist. Take a moment to consider what a city smells like. This perspective might lead you somewhere interesting.