A Walk to Remember: Most Fascinating Pedestrian Streets of Europe

The formation of pedestrian zones in European cities has often been associated with historical planning, as the narrow medieval streets are rather difficult to use as roads for cars.

One of the most striking examples is the Belgian town of Bruges. The center of this small town is open only for pedestrians, bicycles, scooters, motorcycles and horse-drawn carriages, as no cars are allowed to enter.

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The street leading to Michael’s Gate in Bratislava, Slovakia is a medieval city gate that has been preserved and it ranks among the oldest town buildings. At the top of the tower is a statue of the archangel Michael, slaying a dragon.

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A horse-drawn carriage seen on a picturesque street in Bruges, Belgium.

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Tourists visiting main pedestrian street in Copenhagen called Stroget. It is one of Europe's longest pedestrian streets with a wealth of shops, from budget-friendly chains to some of the world's most expensive brands

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Leicester Square is a pedestrian square in the West End of London, England and was laid out in 1670. It is one of the city’s main attractions as it offers plenty of entertainment: theatres, restaurants serving delicious food and many hotels.

CC BY 2.0 / Gian Cornachini / Leicester Square, London - England (Leicester Square, Londres - Inglaterra)

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Las Rambla is a street in central Barcelona, popular with tourists and locals alike. A tree-lined pedestrian mall stretches for 1.2 kilometers. It has Miro’s Mural, statues of people, flower markets, street food, cafes serving tapas and so much more to offer both tourists and locals alike.

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Spreuerhofstraße is one of the world's narrowest streets, found in the city of Reutlingen, Germany. It ranges from 31 centimeters (12.2 in) at its narrowest to 50 centimeters (19.7 in) at its widest. The lane was built in 1727.

CC BY-SA 2.0 / kathrin_gaisser / Spreuerhofstraße, Reutlingen, Germany

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This photo taken on June 4, 2011 shows a tourist visiting Golden Lane, an ancient street lined by historic houses forming part of the Prague Castle complex.

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Old Arbat Street is one of the major tourist attractions of Moscow. Here one can find lots of street performers, flash mobs, tourist shops as well as pubs, good restaurants and coffee shops.

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Nikolskaya Street is a pedestrian street in the center of Moscow. It connects Red Square and Lubyanka Square. It is famous for sparkling decorations, historic buildings, expensive shops and great restaurants.

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