According to a study done by insurance company All Clear Amsterdam and Rotterdam are — quite shockingly if you ask us — among the most walkable cities in the world.
All Clear looked at over 240 cities globally, ranking cities based off *drumroll please* average elevation.
Using topographic maps to reach their conclusions, each city was given an overall difficulty score ranging from 1-100 and an average elevation score (great news for the Netherlands, we guess).
Amsterdam: The walking capital of the world?
Surprisingly, Amsterdam ranked number one on the list, with its low elevation landing the city with an overall difficulty score of just 20.1 out of 100.
Amsterdam, a city famed for its zooming bicycle culture, topped the list with an average elevation score of just one, suggesting that navigating the city’s canals and side streets is a dream.
If there weren’t so many tourists and bikes, perhaps…
This was followed by Rotterdam, which ranked at number two with an overall difficulty score of 20.7.
READ MORE | This Dutch city is the most cycle-friendly in the WORLD
Similarly, Rotterdam, one of the Netherlands’ more modern cities, also scored 1 in the average elevation score.
Is elevation enough?
Sure, these Dutch cities are great if you like to avoid the sensation of an incline under your feet — but does this really make them walkable?
You may want to reconsider your urban hike as the study didn’t take into account the cyclists whizzing through the streets, which, if you’ve ever walked through Amsterdam or Rotterdam, make it slightly more difficult to get around on two feet.
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All Clear also did not factor in aspects such as the amount of traffic. Both cities have tram networks and plenty of cars, which can make it a challenge to explore these two large cities.
Although these two cities rank one and two, it would still be advisable to hop on two wheels or use public transport!
Top 10 most walkable cities
Curious to see what other cities landed on this list? Check them out below!
| Ranking | City |
|---|---|
| 1 | Amsterdam |
| 2 | Rotterdam |
| 3 | Venice, Italy |
| 4 | New Orleans, USA |
| 5 | Kolkata, India |
| 6 | Cancún, Mexico |
| 7 | Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| 8 | Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| 9 | Miami, USA |
| 10 | Bangkok, Thailand |
Do you agree with Amsterdam being ranked the most walkable city? Let us know in the comments below!