Bath in Somerset named in top 10 cosiest places to visit in the world - only UK destination to make the list

As memories of pool-side summer holidays fade, there’s the opportunity for a completely different kind of escape. Officially ‘sweater weather’ season, autumn is the perfect time for a cosy break - but where to go?

While beach trips and cocktails might spring to mind when thinking about vacations - instead picture trading a sun lounger for a seat in a coffee shop, reading a new book and sipping a cup of hot chocolate while watching the daylight disappear upon a city you’ve never visited before.

If you’re tempted, then a survey carried out by All Clear travel insurance revealing the world’s cosiest cities, might come in handy. And you don’t necessarily need to travel that far either, as one British city has made it into the top 10.

The travel experts were keen to discover where gets it right when it comes to offering the ultimate autumnal experience. Where is the capital of cosy?

Before ranking the cities, they first nail down exactly what cosy is. The dictionary defines it as ‘giving a feeling of comfort, warmth and relaxation’, so they began by finding cities offering an abundance of comfort and warmth.

This meant looking at the number of cafes, bookstores, cinemas, theatres and museums per square mile in each location. In addition to this, historical architecture arguably creates a much cosier atmosphere than modern buildings, so they looked at the number of UNESCO world heritage sites within each city too.

Finally, to help them reach a ‘cosy score’ for each city the study looked at the number of #cosy posts for each city on Instagram, and the annual precipitation – because, according to All Clear, “there’s simply nothing cosier than sitting indoors with a great view, while it’s raining outside”. All this research resulted in a comprehensive index of cosiness.

The 25 Cosiest Cities In The World

1. Brussels, Belgium: Cosy score 76.33
2. Paris, France: Cosy score 69.77
3. Geneva, Switzerland: 63.74
4. Copenhagen, Denmark: Cosy score 59.63
5. Lisbon, Portugal: Cosy score 58.77
6. Barcelona, Spain: Cosy score 57.40
7. Athens, Greece: Cosy score 56.90
8. Victoria, Canada: Cosy score 55.27
9. Bath, United Kingdom: Cosy score 52.11
10. Dublin, Ireland: Cosy score 50.96

The insurance company wrote about Bath’s most cosy attributes. They said: “Sneaking into the top 10, Bath places as the cosiest place in the United Kingdom, and one of the cosiest places on Earth.

“If you’ve ever been, it’s easy to see why, with the Somerset city offering so much more than its Roman baths. Historic streets, multiple cafes (including the famous Sally Lunn’s), and neighbouring countryside complete with traditional UK pubs, this is without a doubt the capital of cosy in the UK.”