Ready to take a stroll? A new list is uncovering the most walkable cities in the world, including the No. 1 pick, where the top five local attractions are all within a half-mile (0.8 km) radius.
Earlier this year, the financial website Insider Monkey shared its list of the most walkable cities in the world, which it created using sources like Tourlane and WalkScore. It then took those scores, mapped the distance between each destination’s top five tourist attractions, and checked its air quality using IQAir data and crime and safety indexes to further ensure walkability. After looking at all the information, it named Florence the most walkable place on earth.
Here’s why the European city of Florence is the most walkable
“Topping the list is Florence, Italy — a city that offers Renaissance history and timeless architecture with each step,” the findings shared. “Florence’s walkability seeps through in its historic centre, where narrow lanes lead to landmarks like the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio.”
According to the report, the city’s air quality is also ranked well. Its major landmarks, including the Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Piazza del Duomo, and Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, are all within 0.5 miles (0.8 km) of each other, making it easy to walk to them all within 10 minutes.
Joining Florence at the top of the list is Riga, Latvia, in the No. 2 spot, with its top tourist destinations all within 1.5 miles (2.4 km); Hamburg, Germany, in third with its spots within two miles (3 km); and Porto, Portugal in fourth, with its best attractions within 2.2 miles (3.5 km).
Rounding out the top five is Madrid, where travellers will find all the best attractions within 2.2 miles (3.5 km). The city came with a slightly lower air quality index than Portugal, dropping it just one spot further down the list. Still, it’s a place the team notes is well worth walking around.
“The city’s walkability is most evident in central areas like Puerta del Sol and Retiro Park, which are both historic landmarks,” it stated. “Madrid also has an accessible public transport system which complements the city’s walkable layout.”
See which other cities ranked in the top 30 most walkable cities at insidermonkey.com.
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This story first appeared on travelandleisure.com
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