This City Was Just Named the Least Walkable Destination in Europe — Here’s Why You Should Still Visit

If getting to walk around your travel destination, popping in and out of shops, cafes, and sites, is important to you, you may want to carefully consider where you go next. 

In July, All Clear Travel Insurance unveiled its list of the world’s most and least walkable cities. To come to its conclusion, the team collected a list of more than 240 cities around the globe that are popular with travelers and used topographic maps to rank them according to their average elevation and the elevation range between their highest and lowest points. Each city was then given an overall difficulty score. This, the team stated in its findings, revealed “which ones are a breeze to experience like a local.” 

While two Dutch cities, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, were ranked the easiest places to walk around, another European city didn’t fare so well. According to the findings, Granada, Spain, came in as the seventh least walkable city in the world and the least walkable overall in Europe. 

The city, located in the southern part of Spain, sits at 2,241 feet above sea level, with steep elevation gains and descents throughout the city, which can make it difficult for some travelers to navigate. However, for those who like to work up a little sweat, it’s far from impossible to see by foot. In fact, the city’s compact size and narrow streets make it a better fit for those willing to go by foot than by car, especially in its Old Town area. 

“[Granada is] the perfect mix of history, amazing sights, and a very lively culture. Also, the people there really know how to live,” Alicia Benito, a Spanish language and culture specialist at Promova, previously shared with Travel + Leisure. “There are cool street markets everywhere, cozy tapas bars on every corner, and passionate flamenco shows in Sacromonte. It’s just got this magical vibe that grabs you and doesn’t let go.”

And again, how hard can the No. 7 least walkable city in the world really be? We’re sure La Paz, Bolivia, which ranked as the No. 1 least walkable, surely has to be a little more difficult on your feet. 

As for more readily accessible spots, Venice, Italy; New Orleans; Kolkata, India; Cancun, Mexico; Abu Dhabi; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Miami; and Bangkok all ranked among the top 10 most walkable places on Earth, giving you plenty of options to see the world on your own two feet.

See the full rankings at allcleartravel.co.uk.