Quirky and spectacular streets that everyone must visit in their lifetime.
1. Champs-Élysées, Paris
This tree-lined boulevard in Paris’s eighth arrondissement is often described as the “world’s most beautiful avenue”. It runs for just over a mile, linkng the Place de la Concorde with the Arc de Triomphe in Place Charles de Gaulle, passing through the Jardin de Champs-Élysées and its various museums and monuments, including the Grand Palais and Petit Palais.
2. Ocean Drive, Miami
“Running along the ocean from the tip of South Beach to 15th Street, Ocean Drive is a bustling cacophony of Art Deco hotels glowing in neon and pastel, sidewalk cafés serving mojitos the size of fishbowls, and tourists clamouring for a taste of the South Beach good life,” says Telegraph Travel’s Miami expert, Shayne Benowitz.
3. Stradun, Dubrovnik
Despite the crowds, a walk down Stradun, the main thoroughfare in Dubrovnik's old town, is a must, especially if you're a fan of Game of Thrones (it's where Cersei Lannister takes her walk of penance).
4. Nevsky Prospect, St Petersburg
“It’s possible to spend the entire day exploring this three-mile stretch of St Petersburg that was cut through thick woodland in 1718,” explains Marc Bennetts, Telegraph Travel’s St Petersburg expert. “From the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, inspired by St Peter’s Basilica, to the countless cafés, bars and restaurants along the main drag, and just off it, Nevsky Prospekt is the centre of the city’s cultural and social life.”
5. Broadway and Times Square, New York
The 13-mile Manhattan stretch of this vast street, which also runs through the borough of Bronx for two miles, is home to Times Square, which took its name from The New York Times newspaper (it moved here in 1904, but has moved again since)It also, of the course, the city’s hub for theatre, cinema - and giant advertisements.
6. Unter den linden, Berlin
The sprawling boulevard in Berlin’s Mitte district stretches from the City Palace to the Brandeburg Gate. Paul Sullivan, our Berlin expert, says: “It's the city's take on the Champs-Elysée, taking in the chestnut trees and the run of shops, glamorous theatres and excellent museums along the way. It’s a very touristy spot, so for a bit of peace and quiet pop into the Room of Silence on the north side, built specifically for visitors to rest and reflect.”
7. Wenceslas Square, Prague
“The teeming Wenceslas Square is the place to gauge the city’s zeitgeist in the fashions of the up-and-coming and the wares on offer, which now run from classic smoked meats to organic vegetarian smoothies (don’t miss the vast book collection at Palác knih Luxor, Wenceslas Square 41),” says Telegraph Travel’s Prague expert, Will Tizard.
8. The Royal Mile, Edinburgh
The main street of the Scottish capital’s Old Town actually comprises several streets that link Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace: Castlehill, Lawnmarket, High Street, Cannongate and Abbey Strand. “The distinctive crown spire of St Giles’ Cathedral marks the historic heart of The Royal Mile,” says Linda MacDonald, Telegraph Travel’s Edinburgh expert. “Despite the ponderous piers supporting the tower of the much-altered but essentially Gothic High Kirk of Edinburgh, the soaring interior of this ancient church is flooded with light.”
9. Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem
Jerusalem's most famous thoroughfare, Via Dolorosa - "Way of Sorrow" - is thought to be the route Jesus took, carrying his cross, before his crucifixion. Easter is a particularly busy time for pilgrim groups to walk the route, some with heavy wooden crucifixes in tow.
10. La Rambla, Barcelona
Sally Davies, our Barcelona expert, writes: "The city's most famous street is a mile-long avenue that begins at the Columbus Monument in front of the port, and ends at the Plaça Catalunya.
Dotted along the boulevard are the wax and erotic museums, the Palau de la Virreina information centre and exhibition space and, of course, the wonderful Boqueria food market. La Rambla takes on a very different character in winter and first thing in the morning, which is my favourite time to walk it."
11. The Shambles, York
For full atmospheric effect, approach York's greatest building - The Minster - via The Shambles, an ancient cobbled street mentioned in the Domesday Book where the upper stories of the 14th-century timber houses lean out, almost to within touching distance.
12. Hollywood Road, Hong Kong
"While Nathan Road in the Kowloon neighbourhood might be an obvious one to visit, Hollywood Road - where you’ll find the Man Mo temple and a host of antiques shops - is far more interesting," says Telegraph Travel’s Teresa Machan.
13. Gurney Drive, Malaysia
The seafront promenade in Penang offers some of the best street food in all of Asia, with countless stalls at the Gurney Drive Hawker Centre that have been operating from the Seventies.
14. The Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland's most photogenic country road, flanked by gloriously gnarled beech trees, provides the otherworldly backdrop for King's Road, a key route through the fictional world of Westeros in the Game of Thrones television series.
15. Bourbon Street, New Orleans
“The standard itinerary for most first-time visitors to New Orleans - where its well known jazz festival is played out - includes locating the French Quarter, walking down Bourbon Street and ordering a neon-coloured cocktail,” says Telegraph Travel's Adam Karlin.
16. Portobello Road, London
London has countless streets worth exploring, but we're plumping Portobello Road, home to one of the capital’s most famous markets, which flogs vintage clothes and antiques and dates back to 1740. “You can visit the travel bookshop of the character played by actor Hugh Grant in the film Notting Hill - it's actually a shoe shop on Portobello Road. Just around the corner on Blenheim Crescent you’ll find the real life Travel Bookshop, which was the inspiration behind the one in the movie,” says Sally Peck, Telegraph Travel’s family travel editor.
17. Beale Street, Memphis
Memphis is a crucible of American myth and tragedy. The city itself, though comparatively small, punches above its weight in terms of attractions and cachet. The bars of Beale Street may be a pale imitation of what they were when a teenage Elvis hung out here, but they still rock every night. The King, of course, is credited with giving birth to rock and roll, when he recorded That’s All Right, Mama in Sun Studio.
18. The Royal Crescent and The Circus, Bath
“Built by John Wood the Younger from 1767 to 1775, when it overlooked fields, Bath’s most singularly impressive piece of architecture is, in fact, a half-ellipse, not a crescent,” says Fred Mawer, our Bath expert. “Its 30 houses are now mostly divided up into apartments – John Cleese owns one. Conjure up a reason (afternoon tea?) to pop in to The Royal Crescent Hotel for a snoop.
19. Khao San Road, Bangkok
Beautiful it is not, but every trip to Bangkok should include a stroll down the city's hectic backpacker thoroughfare. It will make visits to the city's temples - or escapes to Thailand's islands - even more rewarding.
20. Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco
The intersection of Haight and Ashbury streets in San Francisco forms this historic district - known as the birthplace of hippie culture. The area is also known for its "painted ladies" - a collection of nearly 48,000 Victorian and Edwardian houses painting in bright colours.
21. Baldwin Street, Dunedin
While we're on the subject of steepness, we ought to mention Baldwin Street, the world’s steepest residential road, according to Guinness World Records. It lies a couple of miles northeast of Dunedin’s city centre and is 350 metres long, rising from 30m to 100m above sea level. That amounts to an average gradient of 1:5, or 20 per cent. The upper half is far steeper, however, with an average slope of 1:3.41 and a maximum of 1:2.86, or 35 per cent. Its steepness was unintentional. The city’s streets were laid out in a grid pattern by planners in London with no consideration for the terrain.
22. South Congress Avenue, Austin
This street in Austin, often dubbed America’s "coolest" city, features a host of hip hotels, trendy restaurants, food trucks, thrift stores, cowboy boot shops and design boutiques.
23. Shijo Avenue, Kyoto
This long, narrow, pedestrianised riverside walk in Kyoto's Gion district is where you're likely to see geisha scuttling to work at dusk.
24. Route 66
The longest road on our list, Route 66 stretches from Chicago to San Francisco. Chris Moss writes: "In the Forties and Fifties, Route 66 was sometimes dubbed 'America’s Main Street', passing through many small towns in the Midwest and Southwest. Although the original trunk road was decommissioned in 1984, Historic Route 66 preserves much of the old atmosphere. Route 66 is also a tick-list of famous topographies, including downtown Chicago, St Louis, the Grand Canyon and Santa Monica beach."
Source : Telegraph.co.uk
