The Greek capital Athens is the most pleasantly smelling European city according to a study by the British company HAYPP, published by the magazine "Timeout" ;, BTA reported.
The study ranks the 10 European cities with the most pleasant smell, among which the capital of Greece, described as a "feast for the senses", ranks first with 8.3 out of ten points.
Researchers looked at factors including cleanliness and the proportion of flower shops, bakeries and perfumeries to give each city an "smell score".
"Imagine this: bustling street markets, the aromas of fresh produce, herbs and frying Greek delicacies wafting through the air. Athens is a feast for the senses" - so "Timeout" describes the atmosphere in the Greek capital and the combination of scents carried by the abundance of bakeries, florists and perfumeries in the city.
Athens' commitment to cleanliness is also highly rated, and the magazine's recommendation to tourists is: "The next time you plan a trip, don't follow your heart - follow your nose.
Paris, with its romantic atmosphere, elegant boulevards and the wafting aroma of baguettes, secures the second position, closely followed by Zurich, known for the cleanliness of its streets and picturesque surroundings.
Dublin (fourth place), Luxembourg (fifth place) and Nicosia (sixth place) are also in the top ten of the list of the most pleasantly smelling cities. Copenhagen is in seventh place, the Romanian capital Bucharest is eighth, and Valletta and Amsterdam are respectively in ninth and tenth positions in the ranking, compiled after a thorough study of the smells floating in the air of a total of 30 European cities.