Sometimes the best way to see a place is simply to walk it. No tickets, no timetables, no working out which bus goes where - just comfortable shoes and
a free morning. With that idea in mind, Skyscanner has released a new index ranking the world's most walkable up-and-coming cities, and seven European destinations have made the list. Topping the rankings is Cordoba in Spain, followed by Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan in second and third place. Also Read: US Issues Saudi Arabia Travel Advisory: Level 3 'Reconsider Travel' Amid Houthi Attacks What makes this particular list is what all it leaves out. The study deliberately bypassed the usual crowd-pullers such as Berlin and Dubrovnik, focusing instead on smaller, lesser-known cities. Each one was scored on 14 factors, including the distance between the main attractions, the number of walking trails, population density, average elevation, air quality, crime score and overall safety.
The Top Three
- Cordoba, Spain takes first place for a simple reason: everything is close together. You can walk around the city's main attractions in no more than 26 minutes, which leaves plenty of time for long lunches and slow afternoons. There are also 29 walking trails in and around the city for anyone who wants to make the most of it.
- Nagasaki, Japan takes the second spot. It is helped by the lowest crime rate of any city in the study. It also has a gentle average elevation of 89 metres, so the walking is easy rather than exhausting.
- Hiroshima, Japan rounds off the podium. It takes roughly 41 minutes to walk between the major attractions, and the study places it among the safest cities for walking alone. That matters if you like exploring after dark, or if you are travelling solo.
Remaining Top 10
Reggio Calabria, Italy needs only about 25 minutes of walking to connect its main sights, with the Strait of Messina never far from view.Monte Carlo, Monaco may be tiny, but that works in its favour. A 36-minute walk covers the city's major attractions.
Tartu, Estonia is compact by design. The city limits stretch across just 39 square kilometres, and with an average elevation of 53 metres. There is barely any climbing involved.
Bursa, Turkiye is the most spread out of the group, taking around an hour to walk between the main attractions - still an easy morning's work.
Bolzano, Italy is the safest city in the entire top ten, and a dream for anyone who likes to keep going. It has 505 walking trails, more than anywhere else on the list.
Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina is the quickest of the lot. You can cover its top attractions in no more than 22 minutes.
Victoria, Canada is the only non-European, non-Asian entry, and it has the cleanest air of any city here, along with 457 walking trails.
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The thread running through all ten is the same - these are cities where the distance between one good thing and the next is short enough to walk, and interesting enough that you will want to!
