Three Belgian cities are among the 100 best in Europe for residents, commuters, tourists and investors, according to the annual ranking of the Canadian consultancy firm Resonance.
2026's 'Best European Cities' ranking puts Brussels in 16th place – the same position as last year – based on 32 performance metrics from more than 180 cities. Antwerp and Ghent are also mentioned in the ranking. Liège, which was in 86th place last year, dropped off the list this year.
"Belgium’s capital welcomes the world as one of the continent’s fastest-growing tourism markets," the report reads, adding that Brussels closed last year with "record-breaking tourism momentum."
By 2032, it says, "around 32 million travellers will be coming to the best-connected city in Europe every year – up from the current 24 million".
Credit: Belga
The report continues: "Brussels Airport started construction on a Hub 3.0 in 2025, featuring terminal expansion, an intermodal hub and new hotel facilities scheduled for phased completion."
This €500-million investment should boost the city’s current #10 ranking for its airport connectivity, according to the report.
With Brussels being the EU's administrative centre, the report notes that housing is expensive: "New homes delivered through 2025 set the stage for continued expansion, with property analysts projecting steady 3% annual price growth through 2027," it states.
"It has been a decade since Brussels began pedestrianising its central 1000 district, making the Grand-Place a joy to stroll and bike," says the report. However, it adds that "the rest of the city still has work to do" to improve its rankings for biking and walkability.
The rest of Belgium
Like last year, Antwerp and Ghent are still in the top 100, but both of them have dropped quite a few places. Antwerp fell from 44th to 60th place this year, while Ghent went down from 55th to 69th in the ranking.
The fourth Belgian city that made it into the ranking last year, Liège, dropped off the list completely in 2026.
The report describes Antwerp as "rich with culture" and "ready to innovate," stating that "even a crisis can't dull Antwerp's lustre".
It says Antwerp has conducted business on the River Scheldt since the Middle Ages, and has the centuries-old Diamond District (and Europe's second-largest port) to show for it.
Antwerp Grote Markt. Credit: Belga
But it's not just diamonds behind the prosperity, it says. "Innovators are finding a foothold in the city, drawn in by incubators like The Beacon and Dunden, and supported by the University of Antwerp and nano-tech pioneer, imec.
"Start-ups have sniffed out the opportunity, choosing Antwerp's time-tested riverbanks as home base as they push the frontiers of pharma, cloud computing, AI, and beyond."
Antwerp "shares its cultural bounty with generosity", even as it reckons with a drug trade that has jostled its storybook image in recent years, according to the report. "Despite it all," it says, "this city remains a jewel box of cobblestone streets, high style, and vibrant museums."
The last Belgian city in the top 100 is Ghent, a city whose "charms flow forth like the Lys and Scheldt Rivers it sits upon".
The city of Ghent. Credit: Belga/ James Arthur Gekiere
The report says of Ghent: "A short trip from Brussels (or Bruges) is all it takes to bask in the glory of its 12th-century Gravensteen castle, or walk along the picturesque Graslei, flanked by medieval guild houses. This has made Ghent a Euro-tripper sensation as of late, with visitor numbers doubling since 2010.
"Here you’ll find a true automotive hub, its bustling ports home to Volvo and Honda assembly plants. Meanwhile, start-ups dot the city, pushing the limits of biotech, pharma, and deep tech.
"Residential is evolving, too: 1,100 new homes will sprout up in the Afrikalaan neighbourhood in the next few years, while the Leopoldskazerne military barracks have re-emerged as a mixed-use district."
The report also referred to Ghent University keeping the city "flush with hungry talent". It stressed that there are megaprojects simmering, including the monumental R4WO ring road project, which will pump at least €720 million into mobility and infrastructure improvements – revolutionising how Ghent connects with Belgium and beyond.
The report ranked London as Europe's best city, followed by Paris and Berlin. Rome and Barcelona rounded out the top five this year.
