The UK is home to some of the world’s greenest cities. Many places across the country are known for their parks, gardens and easy access to nature. For example, London is often praised for its tree cover and large royal parks. Edinburgh is well known for its open spaces and views. Cardiff, Glasgow and Cambridge also have plenty of greenery to enjoy.

But when it comes to the very top spot, it is not London or Edinburgh that leads the way. Instead, Bath has been named the best city in the world for green spaces. The title comes from Time Out’s 2026 ranking of the planet’s Best Cities for Green Spaces, created in partnership with Intrepid Travel. The results were based on a global survey of 24,000 city-dwellers. People were asked to rate their city’s green spaces and access to nature as either “good” or “amazing”.

Those answers were combined to create an overall “green spaces score”. Bath scored 94%, making it the highest-rated green city on the entire planet.

Time Out said Bath is “peppered with both small green pockets and vast expanses”.

Bath sits on the southwestern edge of the Cotswolds and is surrounded by countryside. The city itself also has a large number of green spaces woven into its historic streets.

Royal Victoria Park is one of the best-known. The 57-acre park lies just below the Royal Crescent and includes a nine-acre Botanical Garden.

There is also one of the region’s largest adventure playgrounds, a skate park and crazy golf. In winter, an outdoor ice rink is set up, while in summer, hot air balloons often launch from the lower lawns.

Prior Park Landscape Garden is set in a valley with views back across the city. It is home to one of only four Palladian bridges of its design in the world. The steep woodland paths offer a quieter walk and the chance to spot local wildlife.

Sydney Gardens is the oldest park in Bath and a rare surviving example of an eighteenth-century pleasure garden.

The Kennet and Avon Canal runs through it and is crossed by historic cast-iron bridges. The park was once visited regularly by Jane Austen, who lived nearby.

Alexandra Park provides one of the best views over Bath’s skyline. It can be reached by climbing the Jacob’s Ladder steps or by a gentler route from Shakespeare Avenue.

Parade Gardens, in the centre of the city, offers views of Pulteney Bridge and its weir, while Henrietta Park provides a quieter space with a Remembrance Water Garden.

Bath is also a double-inscribed UNESCO World Heritage site. The city is recognised both for its Roman remains and its Georgian architecture, which sit in close connection with the surrounding landscape.

Beyond its green spaces, there is plenty to see and do. Visitors can explore the Roman Baths, relax at the Thermae Bath Spa or follow the six-mile Bath Skyline walk through meadows and woodland.

There are also plenty of wonderful independent shops, cafes and restaurants in the town centre.