For those thinking of where to head this Easter – Copenhagen was revealed to be the MOST relaxing city break that Europe has to offer, while Sofia in Bulgaria, Amsterdam, and Paris aren’t advised if you’re looking for a tranquil break.
SpaSeekers conducted research into some of the most popular European cities and ranked them by how relaxing they are. The Annual European Relaxation Index ranks 28 of the top cities across Europe by analysing six factors:
- How busy the city is
- How happy the locals are
- Living standards
- Access to public transport
- The amount of coastline nearby
- How busy the local airport is
Combined and weighted, they produce an overall index score out of ten for each city. So which destination came out on top?
For those thinking of where to head this Easter – Copenhagen was revealed to be the MOST relaxing city break that Europe has to offer, while Sofia in Bulgaria, Amsterdam, and Paris aren't advised if you're looking for a tranquil break.
Copenhagen most relaxing city break in Europe
Known for its cycling commuters, hygge culture, and popular Tivoli Gardens, the colourful city of Copenhagen offers the most relaxing city break in Europe.
Denmark's capital has an overall low population density, with just 2,000 residents per km2, making the city less crowded than other popular hotspots. Copenhagen also scores high for happiness (8.1), living standards (8.3), and public transport (6.8), and offers an impressive 7,314km of coastline nearby.
Copenhagen was followed by Luxembourg City and Tallinn in Estonia with index scores of 4.08 and 4.02 respectively.
Sofia is revealed as the least relaxing city break in Europe
Sofia in Bulgaria was found to be the least relaxing city in Europe followed by popular tourist destinations Amsterdam and Paris as the least relaxing European city breaks.
Despite its low city population density (3,300) relatively high satisfaction levels, Amsterdam’s 63,625,664 annual airport passengers result in a stressful city break experience as soon as touching down in the city. Likewise, Paris’ 65,933,145 annual airport passengers at the popular Charles de Gaulle Airport can often result in a chaotic and congested experience.
London makes it on the top 10 LEAST relaxing city breaks list for it’s crowded atmosphere (5,600 per km2) and busiest European airport.
Jason Goldbrg at SpaSeekers commented on the research: “Although Amsterdam and Paris are popular tourist destinations, their high airport numbers mean our visitors are stressed by the masses of people as soon as they get off the plane.
For those in search of a city break full of tranquillity and peace, Copenhagen hits all the right chords with a positive atmosphere, great public transport links and a beautiful coastline.”
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
