Your boyfriend’s aftershave, freshly cut grass, a surprise bunch of flowers.

Some smells are just a treat for the nose – others, not so much. And there’s nothing quite so whiffy as a busy, dirty, polluted city.

In London, scents of petrichor (AKA the earthy smell that rises up from the pavement after rain) and pollution dominate, whilst in New York the smell of bins reigns supreme, particularly during the humid summers. Lovely.

But it turns out, there are some places that smell much sweeter – and now, the world’s best-smelling city has now been named, as Athens has taken the number one spot.

Lined with authentic eateries and coffee shops that turn into bars at night, transitioning from a daytime whipped coffee into a classic shot of ouzo, Athens, the Greek capital, is apparently filled with distinct aromas.

In fact, the city has so much sensory charm that it was rated highest in the world when given a ‘smell score’ in a recent study by HAYPP, scoring 8.3 out of 10.

This is a unique fact aided by the city’s dedication to maintaining clean streets, as it similarly scored 56.2 in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) – a notable juxtaposition to the avenues of New York City which, although mighty, are littered with black rubbish bags attracting all kinds of pests. They do say you haven’t visited NYC until you’ve seen a rat.

Elsewhere, Paris in France took second place. Though it has a reputation for being slightly dirty (again, the rat theory applies), France on the whole scored 62.5 on the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) – so perhaps it’s cleaner than you might think.

Wandering the streets of the City of Love, life’s very best aromas waft through the air: the sweet smells of coffee and soft, buttery pastries in the morning. At least, that paired with the occasional waft of cigarette smoke, which makes a change from London’s clouds of vape.

Likewise, Paris is famous for its perfumeries, from Frederic Malle to Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Atelier Cologne, adding to its sweet aroma. There’s a reason France is famous for its perfume.

Unsurprisingly, Zurich in Switzerland came in third place, notable for its lake and opera house.

Inundated with high-end restaurants (sadly, they don’t come cheap), Zurich serves up traditional Swiss foods including cheese fondue and raclette. Now who doesn’t want that to be the scent of the holiday?

So, the next time you think about jetting off for a long weekend, you might want to consider the city’s sweet smells. Do you want a grubby vibe or a sweet, fresh perfume?

Source:
courtesy of METRO

by Eleanor Noyce

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