Pedestrian-friendly cities where you can walk for fun

English Garden in Munich

 

Munich in Germany, Kyoto in Japan and Bordeaux in France have been named some of the most beautiful, pedestrian-friendly tourism destinations in a new list compiled by Booking.com.

For the selection, the online reservation site teased out trends from the reviews of their 26 million travelers, who praised the walkable neighborhoods of cities with ample green spaces, quaint and charming streets, and village-like feel.

Here are the selections:

Munich

The biggest pedestrian-friendly feature going for Munich is its English Garden, a sprawling park in the center of the city that’s among the biggest in Europe, with its own lake, beer garden and Japanese tea salon. 

Kyoto

Headed to Kyoto? Visitors recommend planning extra stroll time around the temple Kiyomizu-dera, where ancient sanctuaries and food stalls create a dynamic, animated street scene.

.

 FOR THE BEST GLOBAL HOTEL & FLIGHT BOOKINGS

.

 

Helsinki

One of the best ways to take in the minimalist beauty of Scandinavian design is to stroll through the streets of Helsinki, a tribute to Finnish heritage.

Bordeaux

Along with the city’s neoclassic architecture and majestic Pont de Pierre bridge, Bordeaux boasts the largest reflecting pool in the world at Place de la Bourse, the Water Mirror.

Florence

With its ancient cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways, off-limits to mobility of the motorized kind, the Italian city invites visitors to amble slowly and enjoy its distinctly Florentine beauty. A particular favorite is Ponte Vecchio, the only bridge that was spared during the German occupation of World War II.

Others on the list are New York (US), Perth (Australia), San Francisco (US), Vancouver (Canada) and Montevideo in Uruguay.

Source - TheJakartaPost

.

#Italy - #Venice bans opening of new fast food outlets

Venetian authorities no longer want to see tourists strolling into Saint Mark’s Square or around its legendary canals with a sandwich or a snack in hand.

.

.

Authorities in Venice have passed a law preventing the opening of new fast food outlets in a bid to preserve the identity of the Floating City.

.

Venetian authorities no longer want to see tourists strolling into Saint Mark’s Square or around its legendary canals with a sandwich or a snack in hand. The city’s authorities want to put a brake on the expansion of outlets selling burgers, kebabs and other fast-food items intended for eating on the hoof.

.

Paola Mar, the city’s tourism chief, considers that such establishments “are not compatible with the preservation and development of Venice’s cultural heritage.” The law also seeks to limit the growth of outlets selling take-out pizza by the slice.

. 

 FOR THE BEST GLOBAL HOTEL & FLIGHT BOOKINGS

.

Venice is used to seeing students gather in the Campo Santa Margherita square to devour their slice of pizza. Other successful street food outlets have also modernized the Venice food scene, like in the San Polo district, where Acqua E Mais serves the famous Italian polenta topped with local fritto misto (mixed fried seafood) in a cone to go.

.

It is currently prohibited to eat take-out food in Saint Mark’s Square, nor is it not possible to sit on the steps of the square’s basilica. Tourists wanting a bite to eat must instead ask for a table in one of the historic cafés in the emblematic Venetian location.

.

This isn’t the first time that Italy has gone to war with fast food. Verona, an hour’s train ride from Venice, prohibited the opening of new kebab shops in 2016. McDonald’s also caused anger in Rome when it opened a restaurant a stone’s throw away from the Vatican early that same year.

.

A cardinal even wrote to Pope Francis asking him to intervene. At the end of 2016, the Mayor of Florence refused the opening of an American fast food joint on the Piazza Del Duomo, one of the Tuscan capital’s main squares.

.

Source -