Prague moves up a notch in Time Out's ranking of best cities

Prague has scored well in another list. The Czech capital came in sixth in Time Out’s annual poll of best cities and ranked third for its beauty.

UK-based travel and culture website Time Out asked over 20,000 readers in 53 cities to rank the food and drink scene, art and galleries, nightlife, dating apps, neighborliness, and trendy neighborhoods.

The focus of the list has shifted a bit from the previous two years when Prague came in seventh both times. Then, the ranking focused on community spirit and resilience to pull together through the pandemic. This year’s ranking returns to evaluating factors that make a city a great place to visit as well as to live.

Out of the 53 cities ranked in the list, the top five were Edinburgh, Chicago, Medellín, Glasgow, and Amsterdam. Prague, as stated, was sixth. Finishing out the Top 10 were Marrakesh, Berlin, Montreal, and Copenhagen.

As reasons for Prague's ranking, Time Out highlighted the city's recently revamped public spaces such as Náplavka, which has become a popular place not only for tourists but also for locals. They also noted the large parks like Divoká Šárka, where you can find peace and quiet in nature without leaving the city, and islands like Střelecký ostrov where one can relax while taking in the views.

“Visitors are discovering an increasingly attractive quality of life, demonstrated by a huge number of galleries and museums, and quality, affordable dining,” Time Out stated.

The listing didn’t go into details, but Prague’s current administration has been focusing on improving the quality of life with more cultural events, more pedestrian areas, several renovated parks and squares, removal of unsightly advertising, and similar initiatives.

At the same time, efforts are made to discourage tourism based on cheap alcohol. The number of places where drinking in public is allowed has been reduced and gimmicks like beer bikes have been banned.

The city was ranked as beautiful by 90 percent percent of Praguers, and 96 percent praised the public transport system.

First-placed Edinburgh took the top ranking for being the most beautiful and most walkable. The Scottish capital was also praised for its food and drink scene, which includes not only international and fusion cuisine but also Scotland’s first vertical distillery, which people can visit. Residents also noted the city’s openness and progressiveness. Some 88 percent of locals said it was easy to express who you are in the city.

Second-placed Chicago scored high for its food and drink scene, coming in second of all listed cities, as well as its arts and culture. The only place to beat Chicago for cuisine was Medellín, which was third overall. The Colombian city also scored high for nightlife and community spirit.

Glasgow, which came in fourth, was top-ranked for friendliness and also noted for its green spaces. Rounding out the top five, Amsterdam was the most cycle-friendly city on the list, with 100 percent of people agreeing. It was also the second-most progressive city.

The Time Out ranking adds to Prague’s many other accolades. Prague has ranked as Europe’s best city for takeout lunch, one of the best cities for female solo travelers, one of the top cities for culture, one of the greenest cities, one of the dimmest cities, and the most kid-friendly vacation city in Europe. The Czech Republic is also ranked as one of the world’s safest countries.