Tourists with a love of France and urban walking might assume that Paris would top every list going when it comes to beautiful, walkable French cities.
However, experts at digital publication The Travel have suggested that there’s one French metropolis which beats Paris hands down, not least because it comes without the huge crowds and selfie sticks.
Coming first in the list of France’s ten most walkable cities, Nantes, Brittany’s capital, was found to be more pleasing than the French capital for visitors on foot when it comes to tourist sights, foodie pit-stops and great walking routes.
Experts at the digital magazine said the city scored so highly because it has ‘one of the richest cultures in the country and a fantastic food scene and offers its unique charm through beautiful strolls along its cobblestone streets and local restaurants and cafes.’
While Paris nabbed the second spot, other French cities that made the top ten most walkable list were: Strasbourg, Colmar, Avignon, Lille, Bordeaux, Dijon, Besancon and Rennes.
On the River Loire, 30 miles inland from the Atlantic, Nantes is France’s sixth largest city and is known as the city of 100 parks, thanks to its extensive greenery.
All of Nantes parks are free to visit, including the grounds of the splendid Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne, with its elegant ramparts and gardens.
Walkers can also explore the labyrinthine, medieval streets of the city centre and admire the grand gothic exterior of the 15th-century cathedral.
Nantes, France’s sixth largest city, pipped Paris to the post to be named France’s most walkable city by experts at digital publication The Travel. Pictured: Nantes’ spectacular cathedral at night
Take a ride on Nantes’ biggest attraction, a mechanical elephant at Les Machines de L’Ile theme park
There’s also a mile-long stroll along the Loire and a great way to get a (free) city overview is to take a self-guided tour following a green line marked on pavements in a circular route leading to works of contemporary art and places of architectural interest (levoyageanantes.fr).
One of its most popular sights remains the highly unusual ‘mechanical elephant’ at a theme park called Les Machines de L’Ile.
Earlier this month, a study from Compare the Market has revealed the world’s most walkable destinations and the top-rated city is just a short flight away from the UK.
Beating out tough competition from Milan and Paris, Munich was crowned the world’s easiest city to explore on foot.
According to the researchers, 86 per cent of Munich’s population live within 1km of a car-free space.
And 85 per cent of residents live within a 1km of healthcare and education facilities.
The Bavarian city is also a great destination for tourists to get around on foot with many of its main attractions located within walking distance.
The Marienplatz, Munich’s large historic square, is the city’s top attraction and sits overlooked by the clocktower.
Its Rathaus-Glockenspiel mechanical clock is a must-see with characters enacting scenes from the city’s history twice a day.
From Marienplatz, tourists have just a five-minute walk to reach the city’s Frauenkirche, a restored Gothic Catholic church.
According to researchers at Compare the Market, 86 per cent of Munich’s population live within 1km of a car-free space
The church is known for its mysterious ‘Devil’s Footprint’, a large black footprint adorning one of its floor tiles.
After admiring the church, tourists face a mere eight-minute walk to reach the Residenz Munich, a historic palace that’s another of the city’s top attractions.
The Residenz houses the Bavarian Crown Jewels and served as Munich’s seat of government right up until 1918.
Tourists are then just a short stroll from Munich’s famous English Garden, the city’s largest park.
The park spans 375 hectares with visitors able to watch surfers attempt the Eisbach wave on the Eisbachwalle River, or enjoy spectacular views from the Monopteros, a small Greek temple folly at the top of a hill.
And after all that walking, visitors can head to one of the city’s renowned beer halls or gardens to soak up Munich’s iconic beer culture.
According to Introducing Munich, the average cost of a beer is just €4/£3.40 in the German city. Meanwhile, a pretzel costs just €1.50/£1.27.
Milan was named as the world’s second-most walkable city while Warsaw, Helsinki and Paris rounded off the top five.
According to Introducing Munich , the average cost of a beer is just €4/£3.40 in the German city
At the other end of the scale, Manila, the capital of the Philippines, was ranked as the least walkable city in the world.
Planning to stay in the UK this summer?
Another study recently revealed the UK’s most walkable city and it’s a seaside hotspot that’s taken the top spot.
According to the results, Brighton is officially the UK’s easiest city to explore without a car and the third most walkable in the world.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .