rio de janeiro panoramic view

10 Most Scenic Cities in the World

The most scenic cities in the world are located in different parts of our planet.

They all have different features, but overall, all of them attract travellers with their unique geography and nobody remains indifferent to their charm.

What makes them unique is the combination of geography and architecture.

Some of them are world famous for their location, while others might surprise you.

1. Rio de Janeiro / Brazil

rio de janeiro panoramic view
There is hardly to find another city in the world that can boast a more scenic location than Rio de Janeiro.

Situated between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Guanabara, the Brazilian megalopolis, which is home to around 12 million people, is nestled between high mountains.

Their slopes, covered with dense tropical vegetation reach the ocean shore itself.

Seen from Corcovado Mountain, Rio is an indescribable mosaic of bays, peninsulas, lagoons, beaches, hills and mountains.

Tall skyscrapers rise at incredible places, following the local topography features.

2. Sydney / Australia

sydney port jackson
The ultramodern Australian metropolis Sydney is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

This is largely due to its unique location on the shores of Port Jackson.

This is the largest natural city harbour in the world.

As the harbor occupies a very large area of Sydney, the city is often compared to Venice in terms of the water as part of the total urban area.

Practically, Port Jackson is “the backbone” around which this lively and sophisticated city is formed.

The most attractive offices, hotels, houses and apartments in the city are those, looking to the bay.

3. Seattle / USA

seattle from above
Seattle is located in a place that can be called blessed.

The city lies on the Pacific coast, between the deeply cut into the shore Puget Sound Bay and Washington Lake.

Emerald greenness covers the numerous surrounding islands.

The silhouette of this sleek and elegant metropolis is equally beautiful day and night.

During the day, behind the modern skyscrapers can be seen the snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains.

At night, hundreds of thousands of city lights shine, reflecting into the mirrored calm and cool waters of the bay.

4. Cancun / Mexico

cancun from above
The Caribbean resort of Cancun is famous for its remarkable location and elongated shape.

The island is a piece of land with a length of about 19 kilometers, which rarely exceeds 50 meters width!

It is connected to the mainland of Mexico by bridges.

On one side stretches endless snow-white sandy beach and azure blue sea, on the other side you will find amazing full of life lagoon, partly covered with mangroves.

If you have the opportunity to look at Cancun by plane, helicopter or glider, you will find that it is really hard to find another so picturesque place.

5. Stockholm / Sweden

stockholm sweden
The last ice age has left deep traces in some coastal areas of Sweden.

At just such a beautiful place is located the modern Swedish capital Stockholm.

The city is located on the territory of 14 islands between the Malaren Lake and the cool waters of the Baltic Sea.

Seen from on high, Stockholm is a mosaic of breathtaking emerald green islands, bays, lakes and canals.

Numerous bridges connect all these small pieces of land.

The mirrored calm water serves as a highway for the numerous tourist boats.

6. Istanbul / Turkey

istanbul between europe and asia
Located on both sides of the Bosphorus (Bosporus) between Europe and Asia, Istanbul is not something you see every day (unless if you live there).

This is the only city in the world that is located on two continents.

Because of its location, Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) has always been an object of desire of the other major regional powers.

Both sides of this multi million global city are connected by impressive bridges.

The older one rises to a height of 64 meters above the Bosphorus.

7. Monaco

monaco from above
Monaco is one of the cities in the world which will surely make you a greatest impression with its location.

The city – state is located between the steep slopes of the Alps and the azure waters of the Mediterranean.

Because of the specific location of this charming coastal principality, the buildings look like they are built on each other.

The streets of the principality are narrow and winding.

From the higher places reveals an amazing panoramic view.

8. Venice / Italy

venice from above
Among the waters of the scenic Venice lagoon is located one of the jewels of Italy – Venice.

The city is unique and this is largely due to its unique location.

If Venice was not located where it is today, it probably would not differ greatly from the other beautiful Italian cities.

Built directly on the water, Venice has canals instead of streets.

People use boats and gondolas instead of cars to move around the city.

Because of the romantic atmosphere that hovers in the air, Venice is world famous as the city of love.

Every year millions of tourists flock here to get in touch at least for a while with the incredible buildings, museums and Venetian palaces, rising from the water.

9. New York / USA

new york manhattan island
Modern New York is a marvel of architecture and breathtaking with its majestic silhouette.

The most cosmopolitan city on the planet, however, owes much to its unique location.

The giant megalopolis extends the territory of several islands off the coast of the state of New York.

Manhattan, Staten Island and Long Island are the most famous.

The different parts of New York are connected by numerous spectacular bridges and regular ferry links.

Between the islands of Manhattan and Long Island there is regular subway service, which goes under the East River Strait.

The view to the world famous New York neighborhood of Manhattan is particularly impressive from the nearby neigborhood of Brooklyn and is hard to describe in words.

10. Hong Kong / China

picturesque located hong kong
It is no exaggeration to say that Hong Kong is the most beautiful, colorful and modern city in China.

What makes it so special is to a large extent its location.

Hong Kong is situated on a peninsula in southern China, but also covers more than 230 islands.

One of them is the financial heart of the city.

The limited area turn Hong Kong into the city with the greatest number of skyscrapers in the world.

The impressive skyscrapers of Hong Kong rise in a quite narrow space, which rarely exceeds more than a kilometer.

Expansion of the area is limited by the Hong Kong Victoria harbour from the north and the mountainous interior of the island of Hong Kong in the south.

Seen from on high, Hong Kong is one of the most exciting cities in the world – a strange combination between New York and its skyscrapers and Rio de Janeiro and its unparalleled exoticism.