Where pedestrian power rules
Exploring a city on foot is uniquely satisfying. There’s something about the slower pace, the gentle immersion, the serendipitous sights you’d never see otherwise, the glimpses of local life that deliver a real sense of connection, a feeling that you’ve really experienced a city. So we lapped up this recent
Travel and Leisure list that saw Munich claiming the title of the most walkable city in the world. The perfect-for-strolling city, founded in 1158, offers meanders past centuries-old buildings including the Nymphenburg Palace and the Neuschwanstein Castle, through parks and, remarkably, past surfers riding the Eisbach wave in the Englischer Garten.
Second on the list is Italy’s capital of fashion and finance, Milan, a modern innovative (and flat) city with one foot in the past. Climb up to the roof of the Duomo to gaze down from the spires, window shop your way along Via Monte Napoleone or bar hop along the Navigli.
Warsaw is third up, an easy-to-explore city of eclectic neighborhoods and a cobblestoned UNESCO World Heritage heart. Wander narrow streets lined with colorful tenement houses, or stroll through the Royal Lazienki Park. Fuel your walk with tea and pastries from Lourse Warsawa patisserie, or at one of the city’s fashionable food halls.
Also in the top 10 are easy-to-navigate-on-foot Helsinki where history mixes with modern art, architecture and a thriving food scene; Paris where you can promenade along the Seine, hike up to Montmartre or weave through the city’s 19th century covered passageways; Tokyo for walks past modern skyscrapers to ancient temples—and of course the obligatory scramble across the iconic Shibaya Crossing; Madrid for wandering through classical gardens, eating your way through bustling markets, or following in the footsteps of literary giants; Oslo where spending time in nature—is second nature, and where you can break up your stroll through the city’s green spaces with a sauna and a swim; Copenhagen where your walk can take you from design-led shopping, past colorful townhouses and picturesque canals to the world’s tallest climbing wall.
And finally, Amsterdam comes in at number 10, where if you’re not cycling, walking is simply the easiest way to explore the maze of narrow lanes and canals, to experience the cool eateries, contemporary boutiques and incredible wealth of museums.
Hot foot it to the most walkable cities at IMEX: Amsterdam,
booth E100; Copenhagen,
booth F260; Helsinki,
booth F250; Madrid,
booth D320; Milan,
booth D500; Munich,
booth F150; Oslo,
booth F220; Paris,
booth D250; Tokyo,
booth B450; Warsaw,
booth G445
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