Travelling is a feast for the senses – but smell is often overlooked.
A discussion on an online forum highlighted the importance of scent, with contributors sharing their suggestions for the world’s best-smelling destinations.
Their choices include a US city that smells ‘like fruity cereal’ due to a nearby factory and one Scottish spot covered in gorse flower that smells like ‘honey and coconut’.
Reddit user ‘coffeewalnut05’ was clearly feeling nose-y and started the discussion by asking: ‘What are some fragrant places you’ve been to on your travels?’
Read on to discover the replies…
A discussion on an online forum highlighted the importance of scent, with contributors sharing their suggestions for the world’s best-smelling destinations. One person says the Highlands of Scotland smell like ‘honey and coconut’ due to gorse flowers as pictured here
The Highlands, Scotland
It’s hardly surprising to see flower-filled hotspots feature heavily on the thread. ‘Girhinomofe’ says: ‘In the western Highlands of Scotland, get yourself on a stretch of road surrounded by the gorse plant and it’s just a euphoric cross between honey and coconut.’ Gorse generally blooms in the early spring in Scotland.
Provence, France
The smell of flowers in the French countryside is a ‘delight’ according to one Reddit user. Pictured here are the lavender fields of Provence
The French countryside is another fragrant botanic spot. ‘Pwlife’ says: ‘Between all the fruit and lavender fields to gardens full of flowers, it’s a delight’. Provence is particularly famous for its lavender farms.
Grasse, France
The air is heavily fragranced in Grasse, a French Riviera town known as the world’s perfume capital. Perfumers, known as ‘noses’ in France, train there to learn to distinguish scents.
A tourist says: ‘They make amazing perfume there, but wow the smell of all those flowers.’ Tuberose, jasmine and iris are just a few of the sweet-smelling flowers in Grasse.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
‘Buttrnut_Squash’ says: ‘Walking along the streets above old town Dubrovnik I kept getting hit with this glorious scent – a cross between orange blossom and jasmine.
‘Just heavenly. Found out it’s a shrub called cheesewood. The flowers only last a short time, so I was lucky to be there at the right time.’
Banff, Canada
Banff, Canada, pictured here, ‘smells like Christmas’ according to one tourist. It’s all down to the resort town’s many pine trees
If summery scents aren’t for you, one tourist recommends Banff in Canada.
The ski resort town ‘smells like Christmas’ due to the fragrance of the pine trees, according to ‘Gie_lokimum’.
Seville, Spain
Of Seville (above), Spain, one tourist says: ‘The orange trees everywhere meant that the scent lingered in the air and it was wonderful’
Things get fruity in Seville where the air is pungent with oranges, says ‘MaxGoldfinch25’. They say: ‘The orange trees everywhere meant that the scent lingered in the air and it was wonderful. Seville is definitely my favourite Spanish city.’
Iowa, USA
The Quaker Oats Plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, pictured here makes the city ‘smell like fruity cereal’ says one Reddit user
‘GlobeTr3kker’ says: ‘Cedar Rapids, Iowa, smells like fruity cereal from the nearby cereal factories.’ The Midwestern US city is home to the world’s largest cereal mill – it creates Cap’n Crunch and Quaker Oats.
Zurich, Switzerland
One tourist says: ‘First night in Zurich, we took a dinner cruise on the lake. About halfway through, we start getting this light whiff of chocolate.
‘We look around and there is a large Lindt factory right there with this amazing aroma wafting over the lake.’ That would be the Lindt Factory in Kilchberg which sits on the west side of Lake Zurich.
Avery Island, Louisiana, USA
Avery Island in Louisiana is home to the Tabasco Factory. One tourist says: ‘As soon as you get out of your car at Avery Island, you basically inhale Tabasco. It’s nice.’
New Mexico, USA
In New Mexico, the smells are ‘fragrant and cosy’, according to a tourist, especially when citizens are drying the region’s chillies as seen above
On the scent of Morocco’s markets, pictured here, ‘SadPea7’ says: ‘Peppermint stalls, followed by fish stalls, then orange blossoms, then meat.. then almond biscuits’
There’s a picante perfume to the air in New Mexico too, says ‘Slkreger’. They say it’s ‘so fragrant and cosy everywhere’ when they are ‘smoking/drying the chillies’.
Salzuflen, Germany
‘Eipottatsch’ says: ‘It’s a designated spa town. Basically a place where overstressed workers were supposed to go for recovery. They have these giant salt walls through which they run salty water. It gives off a strong clean salty smell throughout the city that’s just amazing.’
Morocco
If you’re looking for a complete assault on the snout, head to Morocco. ‘SadPea7’ says: ‘Markets in Morocco. Peppermint stalls, followed by fish stalls, then orange blossoms, then meat.. then almond biscuits.’
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