cafes

One UK city narrowly missed out on the top ranking.

Summer is here, and whilst many people flock to the beach for their holidays there’s just as much joy in a city break. City breaks are buzzing with excitement, and there’s so much to explore – especially if the city is walkable. According to Time Out’s 2026 global survey, Seoul in South Korea has topped the list as the world’s most walkable city.

Despite it being a huge city, Seoul has excellent infrastructure for pedestrians with almost 3,000 kilometres of pavements, wide pedestrian walkways and efficient crosswalk systems. According to Time Out’s survey, 93% of Seoul residents rated its walkability as “good” or “amazing” – the highest in the survey.

The city has some truly amazing walking paths, including the Cheonggyecheon Stream. This is a 10 km restored urban stream lined with a well-maintained walking path that links multiple metro stations and major attractions, making it the perfect place to wander and explore the city.

One visitor described the walk as an “oasis in the city” on Tripadvisor.

They wrote: “You can walk along its banks, which are below the main street, watch the ducks in the water and relax. When you get tired, you can also eat at the cafes.”

Another person said: “A stroll along the stream starting at Gwanghwamun where the stream emerges is a must do activity in Seoul.

“It is particularly vibrant in the early evening when locals take their evening exercise or simply sit alongside the steam, perhaps reading a book or talking with friends accompanied by the sound of moving water. Located below street level, sounds of the city become quickly muted.”

There’s also Seoullo 7017, a 1,074-metre elevated park converted from a former highway, that you can wander above the city. The walkway is best at night when the city lights are on, according to visitors.

One person wrote on Tripadvisor: “A pleasant walk over the hustle of the city. Markets are sometimes held at the weekend. It has a nice view of Seoul station, especially if you want to watch the sunset over the city.

“It’s also nicely lit after dark. Usually, a few people walking about and taking photos, but it never feels too busy.“

Although Seoul took the top spot, another UK city was a very close second on the ranking.

The Scottish capital of Edinburgh was ranked as the second-most walkable city in the world, with the almost same percentage of people rating the city’s walkability as “good” or excellent.

Edinburgh lost the top spot by only 0.08 percentile points.

Despite its hills and cobbled, winding streets, a lot of tourists visit Edinburgh specifically for its walks. Famous walks like Arthur’s Seat or Carlton Hill are popular choices, but the city is equally as enjoyable to walk through and dip into the many pubs and cafes on every corner.

AN ABANDONED building in a popular seaside city is set for a multi-million-pound transformation into a major attraction complex.

Swansea’s Civic Centre in Wales is set to be transformed into an aquarium, with a saltwater lido outside and also boast a number of restaurants, bars and cafes.

The £22million project which be located right be the beach will be in the currently empty seafront civic centre – a 1980s Brutalist building.

As well as the aquarium, there will be a rooftop terrace, beach lido and 130 apartments.

The terrace will overlook the bay and then outside the building, pictures show garden areas with pathways.

Around the aquarium there are also plans for a number of cafes, shops, bars and workspaces.

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Then visitors can head down steps onto the beach to find a saltwater lido, which would be open year-round.

There will be “areas for leisure and events” too according to Swansea Council, spanning across 5,481sqm.

Councillor Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council, said: “The Civic Centre is one of the UK’s finest waterfront sites, and this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform it into a destination people will be proud of.

“We’ve listened to residents, refined the plans and now want people to tell us what they think before we take the next step.”

David Warburton, Development Director at Urban Splash – which is the company behind the project – said: “This is a big milestone for the project and an exciting moment for Swansea.

“Our vision is to celebrate the Civic Centre’s heritage while creating a thriving waterfront destination that will serve the city for generations.”

The new aquarium and lido are part of a larger £750million, 20-year regeneration plan for several sites across Swansea.

It isn’t the only new addition to Swansea, with plans for a new £10million attraction.

Set to be the first of its kind in Europe, the Swansea Skyline project, will have a gondola-style lift and downhill karting experience.

And plans for the world’s fastest ferry could come to Swansea, linking the Welsh city to North Devon.

It could have speeds of up to 60 knots (70mph), making it faster than HSC Francisco in 2013 with speeds of 58.1 knots (67mph).