There’s perhaps no better way to get to know a city than by exploring its winding streets and hidden lanes, allowing you to discover hidden gem restaurants or pop into art galleries along the way. Exploring a city on foot can also help keep your holiday spending down by eliminating any budget for public transport, hire cars or taxis.
To unveil which destinations around the world can be easily explored on two feet and which require more strenuous physical activity, the Medical Travel Insurance experts at AllClear have analysed the topographic data of over 240 cities from around the world, scoring them based on their average elevation, as well as their elevation range.
Based on the study, Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, ranked as the number one city that is easiest to explore on foot, tallying 20.1 points out of 100 for its Walking Difficulty Score, thanks in part to an extensive network of pedestrian-friendly streets.
“While Amsterdam is known as the ‘Bike Capital of the World’, with 400 km of bike paths, this also means it has a very flat terrain that makes it perfect for travellers who want to take the city in by exploring it on foot,” said the report.
“Additionally, Amsterdam’s iconic canal ring, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has many pedestrian bridges over its canals so visitors can really explore the area to its fullest just by walking around.”
Amsterdam is a firm favourite with Britons, thanks to its short travel time and a variety of ways to get there from the UK. Flight times vary depending on which airport you are departing from, but in general, you’re unlikely to be flying for more than one hour and 30 minutes.
Alternatively, you can hop on the Eurostar from London’s St Pancras and reach Amsterdam in an average of five hours 28 minutes, although on the fastest services, it can take just three hours 59 minutes.
There is also the option to hop onboard an overnight sea crossing from Newcastle to Amsterdam with DFDS seaways, or drivers can opt to travel via a drive-on ferry or the Eurotunnel.
The city itself is perhaps most known for its beautiful canals, with the city centre wrapped around the horseshoe-shaped waterways. These are some of the easiest ways to find your bearings when travelling on foot.
The name of the innermost street running along the canal is Herengracht, the middle one is Keizersgracht and the furthest one out is Prinsengracht – and as long as you know where these are, it comes in very useful when finding your way around. Each of the canals is lined with quaint, picturesque buildings.
The city itself is thriving with culture, so there is no end of things to do. From world-class restaurants to bakeries serving up Instagram-worthy sweet treats, you’ll find plenty of spots to dine along the way.
Some of Amsterdam’s most famous museums and galleries include Anne Frank Haus, Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum, though the city also has some smaller museums such as the Museum of Canals and the Cheese Museum.