The sunshine, the parks and the quality of life, have brought this European capital to the top of the list for wellness escapes.
Many factors influence our health in the cities where we live - from air quality and atmospheric pollution to fitness spaces and parks available to the public. In a recent article, Time Out presents the results of a study by the travel booking platform Omio, which was based on 17 criteria to compile a list of Europes top cities for health and wellness.
The factors examined included pollution levels, the quality of green spaces, the number of spas, gyms and fitness facilities, and sunshine. At the top of the ranking was Madrid, with an overall score of 78,62 out of 100.
Madrid «wellness capital» of Europe
According to the study, the Spanish capital scored well across all the areas assessed. Its high quality of life, the fact that it boasts 360 spas and that it enjoys 2.712 hours of sunshine annually are the factors that put it on top. It is one of the sunniest capitals in Europe, with many parks and public gardens.
The 20 best cities in Europe for a wellness trip
The city that landed in second place on the list is Lisbon in neighboring Portugal. In fact, the score the Portuguese capital received differs very little from that of Madrid. The main reasons it was voted are the «quiet zones» and the new lush green gardens created for residents.
In third place is Vienna, a city considered among the best to live in Europe. Green spaces, infrastructure, and air quality are some of the factors taken into account for its ranking. Time Out makes a special mention of Vilnius - although it is in 18th place on the list, Lithuania was recently crowned the best wellness destination in the world, according to the Health Tourism Awards. It is worth noting that Athens is in 19th place on the list.
Here is the top 20 of cities presented by Time Out:
Madrid
Lisbon
Vienna
Prague
Amsterdam
Helsinki
Copenhagen
Tallinn
Rome
Zagreb
Budapest
Ljubljana
Bern
Berlin
Luxembourg
Riga
Sofia
Vilnius
Athens
Stockholm
