Travel in style: These are the world’s most ‘elegant’ cities

Europe dominates a list of the most elegant cities in the world, with the fashion capital of Paris taking the top spot.

If you were wondering which is the most elegant city in the world, it turns out that Europe dominates the list. Online fashion retailer Zalando ranked 80 cities based on three themes: fashion factor (fashion scene, fashion schools) urban factor (architecture, cleanliness, tourism) and accessibility (affordability). Surveys were sent to 5,000 fashion and architecture experts around the world to help whittle down the list.

Overall, the top-ranked cities are all world class destinations and boast a thriving fashion scene, culturally and historically significant architecture, high tourism desirability, and the wow factor. “It’s not just the people, but the cities themselves, with their unique architecture and cultural landscapes, that make a destination elegant,” reads the report.

Barcelona is ranked sixth in the list. (Shutterstock)

“The secret is that elegance can be achieved with a simple flick of a €2 scarf, a picnic in a beautiful, clean park, and a glass of good quality red wine,” the report continues. “Elegance is a question of taste, attitude, and always showing your best side.”

The city that best embodies that natural elegance and sophistication? That honour goes to Paris, followed by London and Vienna. The only non-European city to crack the top 10 list is New York, which landed seventh, sandwiched between Barcelona and Bordeaux. The highest-ranked Asian city is Tokyo (19th) and Canada’s strongest performer is Montreal which landed 31st.

Factors like the people living in the cities, the unique architecture and cultural landscapes make a destination elegant. (Shutterstock)

Here are the world’s most elegant cities, according to Zalando:

1. Paris
2. London
3. Vienna
4. Venice
5. Florence
6. Barcelona
7. New York
8. Bordeaux
9. Milan
10. Rome

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