The 10 Most Beautiful Cities in the World

Beauty in a city comes in many forms — a dramatic natural setting, centuries of exquisite architecture, or the way light falls on water at sunset. These ten cities combine all of it, and leave every visitor a little spellbound.

Cities shaped by water

No list of beautiful cities begins anywhere but Venice, a dreamlike maze of canals and palaces with no equal on Earth. Prague's spires reflected in the Vltava, and Budapest's grand parliament glowing on the Danube, are equally unforgettable.

Where nature meets the city

Cape Town, cradled between Table Mountain and two oceans, has arguably the most spectacular setting of any major city. Rio de Janeiro, with Christ the Redeemer above its beaches, and Bergen, ringed by fjords and mountains, are close behind.

Architectural masterpieces

Paris remains the benchmark for urban elegance, while Florence is a living Renaissance painting. Istanbul, straddling two continents beneath its domes and minarets, and Dubrovnik, its walls rising from the Adriatic, complete a top ten that proves beauty is the one thing these very different cities all share.