Cosy towns / Global
Cobble it up
Along with clean hospitals and punctual buses, our cities should have a cosy feel to them. Let’s hear it for warm street lighting, pristine parks and cobbled back alleys.
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When it comes to city planning, factors such as infrastructure, sustainability, housing and transport always top the list. But where is cosiness? It’s an under-rated character, key to quality of life and creating liveable neighbourhoods.
And we’re not talking twee. Cosiness is subtle – it’s about secret nooks and alleys, sensitive and to-scale street lighting, warm interiors, chain-free streets, well maintained parks, and an urban landscape that reassures with a modest and intimate architecture. We still want our cities to be complex and ambitious – we just want cosiness to be recognised too.
We took a tour of our favourite cosy places, from the cobbled streets of Rye in England to the handicraft studios of Kyoto, stopping off in Stockholm, Vienna and Copenhagen along the way.
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01: Stockholm
Cosy credentials
Dignified housing, broad roads, winding side-streets, a great food market – Stockholm is forever welcoming. Walk along the waterfront to bring stress levels right down – then have lunch at PA&Co.
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02: Vienna
Cosy credentials
Queen of the cosy, Gemütlichkeit touches Vienna everywhere, from the city’s rich architecture through to its dramatic bridges and old school cafés and bars. It’s a place to lose an afternoon in – a whole life even.
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03: Kyoto
Cosy credentials
Wander around the intimate cobbled backstreets and discover artists’ studios, workshops, boutiques and bakeries. Warm wood and great light complete the cosy vibe.
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04: Rye, England
Cosy credentials
Quintessentially English, Rye, in East Sussex, seems like it’s from a bygone era thanks to its whimsical signage, thriving antiques market, delicious delis and historical architecture.
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05: Copenhagen
Cosy credentials
Perfectly turned out and polite, Copenhagen always charms with its creative spirit, elegant buildings, lively waterfront and affordable restaurants. It’s a city of bicycle rides and kanelhorn.