This stunning UK capital is officially the world’s second most beautiful city

Cities can be beautiful in different ways. They might be replete with grand, historic architecture like Paris, surrounded by awesome nature, like Medellín, or simply have a quality that makes theme completely unique, like Lisbon with its azulejo tilework. But which urban landscapes can definitively say that they are more attractive than others?

Time Out has just revealed a new ranking of most beautiful cities on the planet. We surveyed 24,000 urbanites, asking them if they would describe their city as ‘beautiful’, to come up with the list of 10. Luckily for us Brits, one city in the ranking was from the UK.

According to the survey respondents, Edinburgh is the world’s second prettiest city. The Scottish capital was described as beautiful by 84 percent of its locals. And it’s not surprising, because it’s home to a real melange of architectural styles – from the New Town’s crescents of Georgian townhouses to the Old Town’s tight, higgledy-piggledy medieval streets and striking Gothic spires.

The city is a delight to walk around, and has inspired countless books, films and TV shows, including David Nicholls’ One Day, Frankenstein and of course Harry Potter. 

As well as being an absolute stunner, Edinburgh is a titan when it comes to culture, food and history, and provides easy access to some of Scotland’s most bonnie landscapes. 

The Scottish metropolis was beaten only by South Africa’s Cape Town, which scored first place thanks to 86 percent of locals saying it was beautiful. 

The world’s most beautiful cities in 2026. 

More stunners: The most beautiful pub in Britain 2026. 

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