Skip the metro maps and packed transfers: Skyscanner has ranked the world's most walkable up-and-coming cities, and the winner is Córdoba in southern Spain. The booking platform's walkability index measured 14 factors per city — distances between major sights, walking trail numbers, elevation, air quality, safety, population density and more — focusing on destinations beyond the usual suspects like Berlin or Dubrovnik.

Córdoba earned first place because you can see all its main attractions on foot in just 26 minutes, with 29 walking trails in and around the city. Once a major Roman city and Islamic centre, it's home to the UNESCO-listed Old Town, the famous Mezquita mosque, the Palacio de Viana, the Jewish quarter of La Judería and the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos.

Japan takes the next two spots with Nagasaki and Hiroshima, while Canada's Victoria in British Columbia rounds out the top 10. In between sit six more European entries.

Reggio Calabria in southern Italy ranks fourth — its beaches, waterfront, Rabarama statues and the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia can all be covered in 25 minutes and 2,321 steps, with views across the Strait of Messina to Mount Etna. Monaco's Monte Carlo, at fifth, packs designer boutiques, the Oceanographic Museum, Casino Square and the Prince's car collection into less than one square kilometre — just brace for the steep hills.

Tartu, Estonia's second city and a 2024 European Capital of Culture, is perhaps the sleeper pick. It has the cleanest air of anywhere on the list, plus a handsome old town, wooden-house neighbourhoods, street art, riverside walks, the Estonian National Museum and the university botanical garden.

Türkiye's Bursa, seventh, was the first Ottoman capital and blends bazaars, mosques, the Tomb of Osman Gazi and hot mineral springs enjoyed since Roman times — allow about an hour on foot between the main sights. Bolzano, Italy's "gateway to the Dolomites", rewards anyone who lingers rather than just passing through: Piazza Walther, the porticoed Via dei Portici and Ötzi the Iceman at the archaeology museum, all reachable within an hour, with 505 nearby trails and the ranking's best safety score.

Finally, Sarajevo in Bosnia & Herzegovina sits at number 10 — a compact capital of cobbled streets set on the Miljacka River beneath the Dinaric Alps. It's a city for slow exploring: walking tours through its layered history, the War Childhood Museum, Ottoman-era Baščaršija bazaar, the Latin Bridge and a proper sit-down with its celebrated coffee culture.

Why it matters: if you like city breaks without the hassle of transport planning, these are places where your own two feet are the only ticket you need. The list is especially handy for travellers tired of overtouristed hotspots — expect lower prices, shorter queues and a warmer welcome in Reggio Calabria or Tartu than in Dubrovnik or Barcelona. City-hoppers with limited time get the most value: nearly every entry lets you see the headline sights in under an hour, leaving plenty of the day for cafés, beaches or trail walking on the edge of town.

Story via Euronews Travel