Some of the cities chosen for 2011 are obvious, like New York; others are surprising, like Iquitos. Number 7 this year is an obvious choice for those of us who live in Belgium, but surprising for everyone else: Ghent.

"Here's a secret within a secret," writes Lonely Planet. "Ghent might just be the best European city you've never thought of visiting, in a country that continues to be criminally overlooked."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

"Those who do hop off the train and stroll along the Leie River to the historic centre will have their eyes out on stalks," writes Lonely Planet. "Here hides one of Europe's finest panoramas of water, spires and centuries-old grand houses."

We find it fortunate that the beloved travel guide says "stroll", as anyone trying to get to those fine panoramas from the station by tram or bus will never make it, due to the massive renovation project in the heart of Ghent's centre, which has been going on for years. But Lonely Planet is careful: "This year the entire centre will emerge from a major programme of rebuilding designed to show off the huge pedestrianised squares."

Although we wouldn't go that much out on a limb with the timing, we can tell you what not to miss the next time you're in Ghent, the seventh most-interesting city of 2011.

Visit: The possibilities are pretty endless, but top of the to-do list is most certainly "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb", credited with being one of the world's first oil paintings and certainly one of the best examples of the ground-breaking work of the Flemish Primitives. An altarpiece by 15th-century brothers Jan and Hubert Van Eyck, it's best seen while listening to the recorded audio guide available at its home in Sint-Baaf's Cathedral. If the craftsmanship and fascinating history of this seminal piece doesn't touch you in some way, you have a heart of stone.

Eat: For inexpensive cosiness, there's no beating Keizershof right on Vrijdagmarkt, Ghent's central square. More upscale is Jan Van den Bon, one of Ghent's two Michelin- starred restaurants, located near the city's Citadelpark. The chef is Flemish, his wife is French, and they bring both food traditions together to make creative dishes with traditional ingredients.

Drink: Choosing one place to drink in Ghent is like choosing a favourite strand of hair off your head. But if I must: after 22.00, make your way through the warren of streets in the mediaeval Patershol district until you find Rococo. Candlelit and with a fire burning in its open hearth, the small space is filled with wooden tables where strangers sit together and where the proprietress brings you a complimentary spirit by way of introduction.

www.visitgent.be