Which European City Is The Most Walkable On The Continent?

Through our research, we created a ranking system to score points for each European location in each category, with the higher score meaning a greater chance of a city being walkable, out of a total of 160 points.

• Walking time: 27 minutes | • Walking distance: 2km | • Elevation: 3m

From our research, we were able to determine that Seville was the most walkable city in all of Europe, with an incredible walkability score of 157.5, beating the next best placed destination by almost 20 points.

This is down to multiple factors such as the glorious microclimate the city boasts, which has an average temperature all year round of 18.8 degrees Celsius, and a low average rainfall of just 483mm.

Seville thrives on a multitude of architectural marvels and rich historical background, seen in many of the cities’ top attractions such as the Catedral de Sevilla, as well as an exquisite culinary scene thanks to its famous tapas bars and delightful Andalusian cuisine.

There are plenty of things to do in Seville, and the top tourist attractions are situated within just 2km of each other, taking a total time of 27 minutes to walk between all five with a mostly flat 3m elevation – this includes Parque de María Luisa, Plaza de España, Royal Alcázar of Seville, and Santa Cruz.

• Walking time: 38 minutes | • Walking distance: 2.6km | • Elevation: 4m

In second place was the sunny Greek capital of Athens, which with a walkability score of 140, the city boasts not only glorious architecture, superb weather, and a rich history, but was also ranked as the second most walkable city in our study.

Whilst Athens is generally well known for its breathtaking history and sublime culture, there is more than meets the eye than just the Acropolis.

With sites such as the Temple of Hephaestus and Ancient Agora showcasing the city's diverse landscape, the city has plenty to offer for those seeking a historical city break, without tiring yourself out.

The top attractions in Athens are placed within a respectable 38 minutes of each other, meaning you can visit sites such as the Acropolis, the Parthenon and the Panathenaic Stadium are only 2.6km (1.6 miles) apart, with only a gradual elevation of 4m.

• Walking time: 9 minutes | • Walking distance: 0.7km | • Elevation: 4m

Istanbul, which is another popular tourist destination, came in third with a score of 137.5, thanks to its average annual temperature of 14.9 degrees and low annual rainfall per year of 728mm.

The vibrant capital of Turkey offers tourists a rich cultural offering, but also has a mesmerising charm that allows you to fully engross yourself within the unique culinary scene, thriving markets, and phenomenal architecture – all without overdoing it on foot.

The Turkish city placed high on our rankings for its easy walkability between tourist sites, with Istanbul's top attractions such as The Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet, the Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and Topkapi Palace Museum, all perfectly situated within a 10-minute walk from each other.

• Walking time: 47 minutes | • Walking distance: 3.3km | • Elevation: 8m

For those that don’t want to travel too far – good news! Krakow placed fourth in our rankings for most walkable cities in Europe, with a total score of 137.5.

The second-largest Polish city is deep rooted in European history, with a well-preserved Jewish quarter and medieval feel, this charming city offers a versatile holiday approach catering for all, especially for foodies, nightclub revellers and historical enthusiasts.

Krakow’s top tourist attractions such as St. Mary’s Basilica, Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory, and Wawel Royal Castle are situated within a comfortable 45-minute walk of one another, just 3.3km apart and with an elevation of just 8m.

• Walking time: 59 minutes | • Walking distance: 4.3km | • Elevation: 2m

Completing our top five most walkable cities was the popular Dutch capital of Amsterdam, gaining a score of 132.5 in our study.

Well-known around the globe for its rich history, colourful buildings, and the iconic and instantly recognisable canals, Amsterdam is a city filled with something for everyone. A city filled with cozy cafes, a majestic art scene and fascinating history, Amsterdam could well be the perfect location for your next city break.

The city boasts a near-flat terrain, with just a 2m elevation between all of the best attractions in Amsterdam, which you can reach on foot in just under an hour – which includes Vondelpark, the Van Gogh Musem, Rijksmuseum, De Wallen, and the Anne Frank House, which can be visited on foot by walking just 4.3km (2.6 miles).

Whilst a smaller walking distance between a location's top landmarks is always a bonus, the type of climate you are holidaying in can have a big impact on getting around, particularly the warmth of your potential destination.

Our temperature rankings from Climate Data takes into account the average temperatures in °C across each month of the year between 1991 and 2021 in each of the analysed destinations.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Seville – our most walkable European city – ranked first for average temperature, boasting a super sunny 18.8 degrees across the year. This is largely down to the microclimate that the city benefits from, due to its geographical location and topography.

The strong Mediterranean climate and oceanic influences mean the city benefits from super-high temperatures in the summer, yet mild but generally warmer and walkable temperatures in winter in comparison to the majority of Europe.

Spanish counterpart Valencia came in joint second for average temperature, boasting a superb temperature of 17.6 degrees across the year, which also attracts almost three times as many tourists per year than most walkable Seville.

Joining Valencia in joint second place was Athens, which again, is another popular European holiday location that takes in more than 10 million tourists a year, and it’s easy to see why with the climate of the city.

Completing the top five for average yearly temperatures across Europe are Lisbon (16.7 degrees) and Rome (15.8 degrees), with the latter taking in almost 15 million tourists annually and a combined total of more than 21 million tourists a year.

Let’s face it – you don’t want to be packing the waterproofs for your city break and especially if you are planning on walking! However, there are some destinations within Europe that will leave you soaking far less than anywhere else, mainly along the Iberian Peninsula, with four out the top five featuring in this region.

Our driest city rankings take into account the average precipitation/rainfall in millimetres (mm) in each of the analysed destinations.

However, recording the lowest total rainfall across the year is Athens in Eastern Europe, with an average rainfall of 378mm spanning the entire year. This works out at just a mere 32mm of rainfall per month.

Madrid, which welcomed almost 10 million visitors in 2023, came in at second place for lowest rainfall per year. The city records an average yearly rainfall of just 415mm, which works out at 35mm per month.

In third place was Valencia, which records just 12mm more per year annually than the capital Madrid – this works out at 36mm of rainfall per month and just 427mm across the entire year.

Seville, our most walkable city, came in at fourth place – as mentioned earlier the city boasts a microclimate that sees high temperatures and little rainfall across the city. As little as 483mm per year and just 40mm per month!

Completing the top five was Lisbon, which records a more prominent, yet still respectable 591mm of rainfall per year – the Portuguese capital sees on average 49mm of rainfall each month, however with a glorious average temperature of 16.7 degrees, this is largely skewed by the wetter winter months.

To keep tourist minds at ease, one thing many holiday-goers seek are safe and secure destinations. They are looking to explore attractions that aren’t rife with crime and are safe enough to walk through without having the fear of anything happening.

The Crime Index Score by Numbeo is an estimation of the overall level of crime in a given city or country. It takes into account survey responses about general perception of crime levels, perceived safety, concerns about specific crimes, property crimes and violent crimes.

Munich recorded the lowest Crime Index Score out of any destination in Europe, with a super respectable 20.3 - meaning you are less likely to experience or become a victim of crime in Munich compared to anywhere else on the continent.

In second place was Tallinn – the capital city of Estonia. Whilst this city doesn’t see as much typical tourism as more popular destinations in Europe, the Crime Index Score here is a super low 22.3.

With just a 44-minute walk between the top five attractions situated within 3.2km of each other and a walkability score of 81%, Tallinn may be a destination to consider for your next city break.

Claiming joint third place for lowest Crime Index Score was firstly Prague – the popular Czech capital that welcomed almost 13 million tourists last year, recorded a low score of just 24.5, alongside Finnish capital Helsinki, albeit recording less than three times as many tourists with four million.

Completing the top five was Warsaw in Poland with a Crime Index Score of just 25.4. Nearby Krakow just missed out on the top five with a score of 25.7, however Warsaw boasts an incredibly flat terrain for walking about in, with an elevation of just 2m.

Whilst air quality is not too much of a concern in Europe in comparison to other parts of the world, there are still some locations where the air quality is much purer than in comparison to other parts of the continent, setting them apart from the rest.

With the cleanest air in all of Europe and placing in on another top five is Tallinn, with a score of 4.6 that sets it above not just the rest of the continent, but in fact most of the world.

In joint second place is Helsinki and Edinburgh, which both recorded a score of 4.9, and some of Europe’s and the world’s cleanest air.

In fourth place is Stockholm, which scored 5.4 for air quality – overall the Swedish capital has a walkability score of 125/160, so it could well be one to consider for your next city break!

Lastly, completing the top five is Dublin, with the popular Irish capital recording a score of just 6.3 and ranking as the fifth best air quality in all of Europe.

Our study analysed the most walkable cities within Europe based on several popular factors that tourists will consider their reasons for visiting, such as climate, rainfall, and landmarks. This study in particular highlights the vast regional differences across Europe for all these categories.

Although people may find themselves navigating their chosen destinations on foot, it is important to remember how you intend on getting to and from your airport in the first place. For complete peace and ease of mind, you can pre-book an airport transfer from your intended destination with flexible cancellations.

Whilst we were able to find the most walkable locations based on our research, we understand that this will vary by person, and you should always look to do your own research when considering your next city break.