The European Best Destinations tourism platform has announced the continent's best cultural destinations to visit in 2026 – and one city in Belgium has received particular praise.
The Flemish city of Leuven, just a 20-minute train ride from Brussels, was ranked in fourth place in the latest list of cultural hotspots, as first reported by So Soir.
Travellers and experts gave the city an average score of 17.65/20, praising it for being "one of Europe's most innovative cultural ecosystems", with "youthful energy, open-minded spirit, and [an] accessible cultural scene."
Dubbed the "Oxford of Belgium", the city is famed for consistently ranking highly on global university league tables as it is home to the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), but it has far more to offer than just a university for curious tourists.
Leuven Town Hall (Left) and Saint Peter's Church (Right). Credit: The Brussels Times / Isabella Vivian
"Walking through Leuven feels like stepping into a modern European ideal. Gothic spires meet solar panels, street art meets university cloisters, and cafés hum with conversation in half a dozen languages. The M-Museum connects past and present with exhibitions that mix old masters and digital art; the STUK Arts Center reinvents performance through collaboration and experimentation. Everywhere, there's a quiet confidence that progress can be beautiful," the platform noted on its ranking.
"Leuven's energy is contagious. It doesn't shout, it doesn't try to impress – it simply invites you to join. For visitors, the reward is a city that lives at human scale: green, creative, open-minded, and quietly radical."
Leuven was also crowned the European Capital of Culture in 2030 in September last year, pipping the Walloon city of Namur and the Brussels municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean to the post. Its ambitious programme placed particular emphasis on nature and sustainability. Read more on how to spend a day out in Leuven here.
Which cities topped the list?
The Cypriot capital of Nicosia claimed first place (18.6/20) as the best cultural destination of 2026, attracting visitors with its blend of Byzantine heritage, contemporary art and relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle. Florence in Italy (18.45/20) and Vienna in Austria (18.35/20) completed the top three.
Rounding off the top ten were Sibenik (Croatia), Verona (Italy), Tomar (Portugal), Rouen (France), Oxford (UK) and Graz (Austria).
Namur was ranked fifth Best European Destination in 2025, and was described as a "thriving hub of innovation, sustainability, and culture" and experiencing a "true renaissance". However, it does not feature on the list this year.
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The European Best Destinations platform compiles various themed rankings for city breaks each year.
To create the ranking, experts preselected a list of 40 cities. They then examined these based on several factors, including heritage value, contemporary creativity, international cultural influence and visitor experiences.
Over 20,000 travellers from 131 different countries were then consulted to assess the attractiveness of the nominees. The combined opinions of experts and users narrowed the list down to ten destinations.
