When you’re taking a trip, particularly abroad, there’s a good chance that you won’t have a car to travel from place to place. Knowing this, it’s really beneficial to be in a place that’s “walkable.” Now, a walkable city is not just a small town where all of the main attractions are concentrated around one area. A truly walkable city should be a place that features multiple attractions that you can reach on a quick stroll. Those are loosely the terms that a recent list was based on to come up with the 30 most walkable destinations in the world. Here are some of the more interesting spots that were mentioned.
Boston is America’s Most Walkable City
American cities are not known for being “walkable.” Boston is one of the exceptions. You have the Museum of Fine Arts, Fenway Park, and the Boston Common, all within the same area. According to research, the top 5 attractions in town are located in a 2.9-mile radius. This measurement is what researchers based their results on the most. Another thing that Boston has going for it is air quality. You won’t be breathing in smog all day as you walk.
Sydney, Australia, Is Surprisingly Walkable
One of the surprises on the list, perhaps because Sydney is a larger city. It represents an interesting scenario. A city can be walkable even if the city limits are miles apart from east to west, as long as the main attractions are all more or less located within a particular part of town. That’s the case in Sidney. The Sydney Opera House, the Royal Botanic Garden, Hyde Park, Sydney Harbor Bridge, and the Darling Harbor are all at most 2.7 miles from each other.
Why Cities In Estonia and the UK Don’t Make This List
Other cities like Edinburgh in the UK, Tallinn, Estonia, and even Stockholm ranked very high on the aforementioned list. However, they lack some of the star power that other spots feature. What that means is, sure, you can walk anywhere here, but what you’re walking to isn’t as exciting. It’s not that these places aren’t worth a visit, but you won’t be walking around them for days without getting bored, like the next place on the list.
Museum Enthusiasts and Foodies Will Rejoice in Madrid, Spain
Bars, museums, and shopping on every corner. Madrid does have a lot of the star power that some of the previous cities just can’t match. The distance between the top five attractions in Madrid is around 2.2 miles. If you don’t want to walk, you can take the metro. If you decide to take a walk from Puerta del Sol to the Retiro park, near where many of the museums are, and then to some of the other landmarks like the Puerta de Alcala, you could complete the circuit in about 40+ minutes.
Porto’s Walks Across the Beach & Popular Spots
Walking in a beach town is always a unique experience. Porto’s not just a beach town, though; most of the important landmarks and gardens are within a 2.2-mile radius. That’s very similar to what you’ll see in Madrid. Great air quality and the breeze of the ocean may just be what puts Porto above Spain’s capital. In any case, it’s a great spot to explore and dine.
Venice Is Where You Want to Walk
The most walkable city in the world is Venice, Italy, and that probably surprises no one. There are attractions like art galleries or famous buildings and bridges crossing the canals on every corner. Perhaps the main reason why Venice is so walkable is precisely because there are so many attractions seemingly bunched together. The city’s top 5 attractions are in a 0.5-mile radius.
