A study has revealed the ‘prettiest city in the world’, beating Venice—and it’s not far from Manchester
Dan Taylor and Rosie Jempson
09:14, 21 Aug 2025
The city came top thanks to its stunning architecture(Image: ChrisHepburn via Getty Images)
Chester has been crowned the “world’s most beautiful city” by research examining the golden ratio of architecture in cities worldwide. It beat Venice, Italy, to secure the top position.
Utilising data gathered from Google Street View, mathematicians assessed cities worldwide based on how many of their structures adhered to the “golden ratio”.
This ancient mathematical principle has been defined as 1:1.618. The ratio frequently occurs in nature, including in flowers and seashells.
The human eye supposedly finds objects following this proportion as naturally attractive.
With its distinctive appeal, Chester, around an hour from Manchester by road or rail, holds considerable historical significance in England. The city boasts a cathedral that has stood for more than a thousand years, Britain’s largest Roman amphitheatre, and the nation’s oldest racecourse, reports the Express.
The city was ranked prettier than Venice(Image: Getty)
Researchers from Online Mortgage Advisor, which released the study, examined over 2,400 structures in the UK alone.
The research revealed that Chester topped the rankings as the most beautiful city globally, with an impressive 83.7 per cent of buildings adhering to the golden ratio. This meant it overtook Venice, which achieved 83.3 per cent.
London followed closely, claiming third position with a score of 82 per cent.
Belfast, Liverpool, and Durham rounded out the top five in the UK.
Venice was beaten to the top spot(Image: Getty)
The study emphasised the application of the “golden ratio” by numerous artists, who consider it embodies the height of “natural aesthetic perfection”.
The study utilised the “golden ratio” to measure both regular buildings and iconic landmarks, aiming to determine “which city in the UK and around the world can lay claim to having the most beautiful buildings”.
Colin Potts, head of international tourism management at the University of Chester’s Business School and a former tourism manager for Chester, said: “I think that sometimes its beauty is taken for granted here when really it is the main driver as to why people choose to visit, live and invest in the city—then discover more including its people, history and culture.
“We must make the most of our golden ratio.”