The top ten cultural destinations in Europe have been unveiled – and none are in the UK.
Paris emerged as the best city for culture, propelled to the top thanks to the many parks and recreational spaces available to visitors.
The City of Light was also among the top-performing European capitals for the number of points of cultural and artistic interest.
Paris alone brings together more than 2,000 monuments, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Sacré-Cœur or Notre Dame – and will home the summer Olympics in only a few months.
Barcelona scored only a few points less than the French capital but ranked higher for comedy and entertainment venues.
The city’s artistic heritage is priceless, as attested by Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper or the Brera masterpieces. Milan is also famous for modern art.
Budapest rounded out the five best cities in Europe for culture.
The Hungarian capital scored 66.04 on the study, ranking as the best city for literary sites and music and audio retail locations.
The first British city to appear on the list is Manchester, which ranked 29th Europe-wide and higher than London. Bristol and Leeds also ranked in the top 50 cities for culture.
The co-founder of global luggage provider Stasher, which conducted the study, Anthony Collins said: “Planning is such a significant part of any long holiday or short city break. Understanding where you are visiting, what they have to offer and how much it suits your interests is paramount to making the most of your experience.
“For people seeking the full cultural experience, Paris seems like the best destination in Europe. For those interested solely in museums, art galleries, and historical monuments, Helsinki or Amsterdam may be the perfect destination, while those fascinated by arts and literature may prefer a trip to Warsaw or Budapest.”