The best way to really discover a place is to walk around it. Only by getting lost in the streets and alleys is it possible to experience the most authentic atmosphere of a city and come across things that are not marked on maps and tourist guides. We can not forget also that walking also helps to keep fit without too much effort. But, which are the cities of the Old Continent that are worth visiting on foot? Let’s now discover the 6 most beautiful European cities to visit on foot.
The 6 most beautiful European cities to visit on foot
The famous British newspaper The Guardian has produced a ranking that rewards 6 European cities , including a Spanish one, Seville , to discover on foot . Of the Andalusian capital, its “sacred walks and divine gardens” stand out.
Let us know in detail the ranking formed by the following European cities that are the most beautiful to visit on foot:
Berlin Germany)
To really get to know the German capital, which contains important symbols of the history of the last century , you have to opt for long walks. The Guardian Suggests Take This Tour: The Hansa District (Hansaviertel), an exhibition estate where famous architects (including Alvar Aalto, Walter Gropius, Arne Jacobsen, and Oscar Niemeyer) designed Modernist residential buildings on a site destroyed in WWII ; the Tiergarten city park; Alexanderplatz and Prenzlauer Berg, where there are some nice cafes and restaurants. On the other hand and although Berlin is large, the newspaper points out that you can always get on an S-Bahn train for the return trip . And if you want to hike beyond the central districts, they recommend taking a walk to the old Tempelhof airport.
Trieste (Italy)
In second place in the ranking we find the splendid Trieste , a coastal and border city. According to The Guardian, the perfect time to visit the Friulian capital is summer .
The city has much-loved cafes, some beautiful (all cozy) that serve as pit stops, but also a beautiful boardwalk, explains The Guardian. One of the largest cafes, the Caffè degli Specchi is located in the main square, Piazza Unità d’Italia. This is a natural place to start a zigzag hike, including the Joyce museum, the art collection, and the sumptuous interiors of the Revoltella Museum, the pretty Borgo Teresiano, named after the 18th century Habsburg ruler Maria Teresa, and Caffè San Marco, a large library-cafeteria with a Viennese Secession-style interior. From the center it takes a short and steep climb up to Villa Opicina with views of the Gulf of Trieste. If you have the energy to walk further, continue along the wooded dirt road of the Napoleonic Highway towards Prosecco. It is 5 km if you go to the end; You will see Miramare Castle, the summer residence of Archduke Fernando Maximiliano and his wife, Carlota, at the foot of the cliff.
Marseille (France)
According to The Guardian, the old French city really has it all : the Vieux-Port overlooking the sea, the narrow winding streets of the Le Panier district, the panoramic view from the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde and the Rue de the République, with its Haussmannien circumference and large buildings from the mid-19th century.
Just three blocks from the port is also the Marché Noailles, where you can taste fresh produce and smell the spices at the Marché des Capucins and have a mint tea or a kebab, the newspaper advises. Then follow the first roundabout to the Mucem (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations), but be sure to visit some of the smaller museums in the city as well.
Lisbon, Portugal)
The Portuguese capital is one of the most beautiful European cities of all according to The Guardian. To make it unique there are the ups and downs , although some can be a bit tiring for the less experienced. But not only that. Lisbon is the perfect destination for lovers of good food.
It is one of those cities where the less flashy restaurants serve the best food, and it is worth getting away from the bars and discovering where the locals dine some of the more traditional dishes such as Bacalhau à brás (cod with eggs and potatoes), sardines a grilled or cataplana (stew of white fish and shellfish). On your walks, you will come across delicious bars and cafes , some of which are filled with melancholic notes of live fado after dark.
Copenhagen (Denmark)
In fifth place in the ranking we have the Danish city of Copenhagen , which is characterized by its cultural richness and the presence of numerous cycle lanes.
The Guardian recommends that we start walking from the Assistens cemetery, which is not at all gloomy. In fact, the locals come here to relax, have a picnic, and enjoy the lush foliage. Kierkegaard and the famous writer Christian Andersen are buried here. Beyond the walls is the Nørrebro neighborhood, filled with designer clothing stores and galleries, murals, and craft beer establishments. From here, make your way carefully to the harbor area, stroll through the charming green space of the Royal Library Garden along the way, and enter the Royal Library, also known as the Black Diamond Library, which has a large collection of manuscripts on display.
Sevilla Spain)
The Spanish city of Seville closes the ranking with a flourish. The best way to visit it on foot is to follow the path of the procession that is organized every year during Holy Week.
The Guardian explains how the brotherhoods ” gravitate towards the center from the parishes of the entire city, but all are channeled in the last streets “, from Campana street, through Sierpes street, through San Francisco square, through Avenida de the Constitution, which ends in the cathedral. Next door is the Real Alcázar, the set of palaces, fortifications, courtyards, reflecting pools, and beautiful gardens and olive groves arranged in an orderly grid. A complicated fusion of Mudejar heritage and other European architectural styles. The site was developed in the 11th century, when Seville was under the rule of the Muslim Arab Abbadid dynasty. Over the years it has been expanded and modified several times to become a Christian royal residence.
